PRIME MINISTER

Hutton Inquiry

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish, redacted as necessary for reasons of national security, witness statements submitted to the Hutton Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly.

Gordon Brown: Publication of material provided to the Inquiry was a matter for Lord Hutton.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  by what method and in what form witnesses giving evidence to the Committee of Inquiry on Iraq will do so when giving evidence on a basis equivalent to evidence given under oath; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what provision is being made to meet the  (a) per diem and  (b) other expenses incurred by (i) right hon. Sir John Chilcot and (ii) other members of the Committee of Inquiry on Iraq in relation to their work on the inquiry;
	(3)  if he will direct the Committee of Inquiry on Iraq to publish a list of those Privy Council members serving on the Committee who attend each closed session of the inquiry;
	(4)  if he will make it his policy that a verbatim record of public sessions of the Chilcot Inquiry is published daily;
	(5)  what plans there are to appoint legal counsel to support the Chilcot Inquiry into Iraq;
	(6)  whether those invited to serve on the Committee of Inquiry into Iraq were given guidance prior to accepting on the  (a) likely time commitment involved and  (b) duration of the inquiry; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  whether witnesses to the Chilcot Inquiry into Iraq will be permitted legal representation; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  who the secretary to the Chilcot Committee of Inquiry into Iraq will be.

Gordon Brown: I refer my hon. Friend to my letter of 17 June 2009 to the right hon. Sir John Chilcot GCB and to his reply of 21 June 2009. Copies of both have been placed in the Libraries of the House. As Chairman, Sir John, in consultation with the Inquiry Committee members, will take decisions on how the inquiry conducts its work. The costs of the inquiry will be met by the Government. The secretary to the inquiry will be Ms Margaret Aldred CB CBE, who is a senior Cabinet Office official.

Lord Paul of Marylebone

Graham Stuart: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions Lord Paul of Marylebone has visited 10 Downing Street on official business in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

CABINET OFFICE

Aviation

John Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the number of jobs in the UK dependent on the aviation industry.

Ian Lucas: I have been asked to reply.
	This Department does not produce estimates of the number of jobs in the UK dependent on the aerospace or aviation industries.
	The Society of British Aerospace Companies—the national trade association for the aerospace sector—estimates that 100,740 people were directly employed in the aerospace sector in 2008. This includes those employed in manufacturing of aircraft, systems, engines and equipment.
	Figures for the air transport industry are included in the Office of National Statistics employment figures in their Annual Business Enquiry. Their latest figures for total employment averaged over the year of 2007 indicate that 93,000 people were employed directly in the air transport industry and a further 48,000 people were employed in other activities supporting air transport. These figures relate primarily to those involved in transport of passengers or freight by air but do not cover all those employed at airports for retail, catering, baggage handling etc.

Charities: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent steps have been taken to promote the Capacitybuilders and Futurebuilders schemes to charitable organisations in the West Midlands.

Angela Smith: All Capacitybuilders programmes are promoted in the West Midlands through a mixture of regional events, e-bulletins and through local ChangeUp consortia. Capacitybuilders is based in the West Midlands and they have a regional manager for the West Midlands.
	Futurebuilders England has taken steps to promote the fund in the West Midlands. There have been a number of events to specifically promote the Futurebuilders Fund in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire.
	Both Capacitybuilders and Futurebuilders are working together to deliver the new £16.5 million modernisation fund. Both organisations promoted the fund at the Office of the Third Sector's road show in Birmingham on 27 April, where over 60 delegates representing third sector organisations in the West Midlands attended.

Departmental Information Officers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the cost of  (a) press officers and  (b) other press office staff in No. 10 Downing Street has been in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the cost to her Department of employing press office staff other than press officers has been in each year since 1997.

Tessa Jowell: The Prime Minister's Office forms part of the Cabinet Office.
	For the cost of Press Officers I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) and the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1733W.
	Information dating back to 1997 on the cost of press officer staff other than press officers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Responsibilities

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much time was spent on Ministerial duties between 4 May 2009 and 5 June 2009 by each Minister in her Department who is also a Member of the House of Commons.

Tessa Jowell: During this period, Cabinet Office Ministers continued to spend as much time on their ministerial duties as necessary for them to be fulfilled.

Futurebuilders Fund: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many loans of each type have been provided from the Futurebuilders programme to organisations in each constituency in Essex since the inception of that scheme.

Angela Smith: To date, Futurebuilders England has invested over £3 million to five organisations in Essex. By constituency, Futurebuilders England has invested in one organisation in Brentwood and Ongar; one in Rochford and Southend, East; and three in West Chelmsford.

Pensioners: Low Incomes

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners in households with a net income of less than £130 a week in  (a) North West Cambridgeshire constituency,  (b) Cambridgeshire,  (c) the East of England and  (d) the UK in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information that is available is shown in the following table.
	The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government Office Region. The latest available information on pensioner incomes is for 2007-08 and figures have been rounded to the nearest 100,000.
	Therefore information is provided for years up to and including 2007-08 based on an income of £130 per week, deflated to the price levels of the years in question.
	
		
			  Pensioner units with a net income after housing costs of less than £130 per week (deflated to prices of years measured ) 
			  m illion 
			   2001-02  to  2003-04  2002-03  to  2004-05  2003-04  to  2005-06  2004-05  to  2006-07  2005-06  to  2007-08 
			  East of England  
			 Couples — — — — — 
			 Singles 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			  UK  
			 Couples n/a 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 
			 Singles n/a 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.4 
			  Notes: 1. Net income after housing costs is income from all sources received by the pensioner unit including income from social security benefits, earnings from employment, any private pension, and tax credits less direct taxes and housing costs which include rent, water rates and mortgage interest payments. 2. Figures are based on the average of three years' data as single year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes. 3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100,000. 4. "—" indicates a value less than 50,000 5. Based on survey data and as such subject to a degree of sampling and non sampling error. 6. Pensioner units are either a single pensioner over State Pension age (65 and over for men or 60 and over for women) or pensioner couples. Pensioner couples are couples where at least one member is over State Pension age. 7. Prior to 2002-03 the FRS survey only covered households in Great Britain. Therefore it is not possible to provide estimates for the UK for years before 2002-03. 8. The deflated values of £130 were £124.18 in 2007-08, £120.35 in 2006-07, £116.39 in 2005-06, £113.81 in 2004-05, £111.47 in 2003-04, £108.87 in 2002-03 and £106.32 in 2001-02.  Source:  Pensioners' Incomes Series (derived from the FRS survey)

Private Members' Bills

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Private Members' Bills commenced in the House have required Queen's Consent in  (a) the last three Sessions and  (b) in the current Session to date; what the (i) average and (ii) longest time between an hon. Member asking her Department to apply for consent and that consent actually being applied for was in (A) each of the last three Sessions and (B) in the current Session to date; what the (1) average and (2) longest time between her Department's applying for and receiving Queen's Consent was in each such period; on how many occasions Queen's Consent has arrived in a period of 72 hours preceding a Bill's scheduled second reading in each such period; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Information about the number of private Members' Bills requiring Queen's Consent is set out in the following table. The rest of the information requested is not collated centrally and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Private Members' Bills requiring Queen's Consent 
			  Session  On second reading  On third reading 
			 2005-06 5 1 
			 2006-07 3 1 
			 2007-08 3 0 
			 2008-09 (to date) 2 1

Third Sector

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the Government funding allocated to third sector organisations in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Angela Smith: The latest information held by the Office of the Third Sector relates to estimates of central Government spending on the third sector in 2005-06 and estimates of local government spending on the third sector in 2003-04.
	These figures show that central Government spending on the third sector in 2005-06 is estimated at £5.4 billion. Local government spending on the third sector in 2003-04 is estimated at £4.2 billion.
	Both reports are published at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/Research_and_statistics/third_sector_research/expenditure.aspx
	For auditing reasons, there is a time lag for officially published data but the NCVO Civil Society Almanac provides an estimate of the total amount of public funding received by general charities and for 2006-07 they put this figure at £12 billion.

Third Sector

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information is held by  (a) the Office for the Third Sector and  (b) her Department on the level of Government funding for (i) charities, (ii) voluntary organisations and (iii) social enterprises.

Angela Smith: The Office of the Third Sector publishes information on central and local government spending on the third sector. Latest figures relate to central Government spending on the third sector in 2005-06, and local government spending on the third sector in 2003-04. However it is not possible to show funding for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises separately.
	Both reports are published and available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/Research_ and_statistics/third_sector_research/expenditure.aspx

Third Sector

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which of her Department's programmes allocate funding to charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations.

Angela Smith: The Office of the Third Sector, in Cabinet Office runs a variety of programmes allocating funding to charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. Expenditure on these programmes and programme descriptions are reported annually in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts.

OLYMPICS

Mass Media: Olympic Games 2012

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much the Olympic Delivery Authority spent on media monitoring services in each of the last three years; and which organisations provided such services.

Tessa Jowell: Over the past three years, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has spent the following on media monitoring services:
	
		
			   Supplier  Cost (£) 
			 2006-07 Lexis Nexis (online newspaper and magazine archive) 2,264.45 
			
			 2007-08 Factiva (online newspaper and magazine archive) 11,600.92 
			  TNS Media (broadcast monitoring)  
			
			 2008-09 Digital Media Services 32,422.50 
			  Hawk (broadcast media)  
			  Factiva  
			  TNS Media  
		
	
	This increase is due to the fact that, in the earlier stages of the project, more of the monitoring costs were borne by the privately funded London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and also a reflection of the increasing national and international coverage of the games in both print and broadcast media.
	Costs for electronic monitoring of newspapers and magazines are covered by LOCOG.

Olympic Games 2012: East of England

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what discussions her Office has had with the Local Government Association on the East of England's  (a) participation in and  (b) legacy from the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: There has been regular discussion with the East of England at a local level, with local authorities and through public consultation events since 2007 by my officials, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
	I also visited Norwich in November 2008 and spent some time meeting and discussing with councillors and members of the local authority about the plans for 2012 and how they can ensure that they maximise the opportunities they present.
	The East of England will be hosting the mountain biking competition at Hadleigh Farm in Essex and the white-water canoe slalom will be staged in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. The region will also benefit from the legacy of the games in the form of a world-class community and elite use white-water canoe centre at Broxbourne.
	I was delighted to award Essex county council a Beacon Award in March this year recognising the effectiveness of the council for its work on Olympic and Paralympic legacy. The Beacon scheme is a prestigious award scheme that recognises excellence in local government.
	In 2007, the Nations and Regions Group (NRG) was set up by LOCOG and the Government Olympic Executive to build on the excitement and interest the games has inspired across the UK. The Local Government Association (LGA) has been present on the group since its inception and is represented by Councillor Chris White, who is also Chair of the LGA's Culture, Tourism and Sport Board. At the LGA conference in December 2008, I set out progress so far and the Government's plans for the future alongside Charles Allen, the Chair of the NRG.
	Local government was instrumental in the success of the 2008 Open Weekend when some 655 events across the country engaged some 700,000 people in London 2012 community, sporting and cultural events. The LGA and local authorities throughout the UK again have the opportunity to use the London 2012 Open Weekend held from the 24 to the 26 July to inspire people to get involved with a range of culture, sport, sustainability and learning activities to celebrate the UK hosting the games in 2012.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Cleaning Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which organisations provided cleaning services to his Department in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each such contract was in each such year.

Ann McKechin: Cleaning services for the Scotland Office is undertaken by various companies. The following table details the various companies and expenditure. Waste collection is also included in the information as some contracts cover both cleaning services and waste collection.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Company  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 OCS Group UK Ltd. T/a Cannon 890.01 819.88 748.76 
			 Hannay 2,021.40 — — 
			 Palmer & Co. — — 1,080.00 
			 Lancaster Office Cleaning Company 25,314.80 26,065.82 25,592.97 
			 Serco Integrated Services 21,495.92 20,257.50 23,351.81 
			 Shanks Waste Management Ltd. 1,435.25 3,120.95 1,428.10 
			 MacDET Hygiene Services Ltd. — 460.00 — 
			 Total expenditure by year 51,157.38 50,724.15 52,201.64

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much  (a) electricity and  (b) gas was used on his Department's estate in each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office did not centrally record its electricity and gas usage for the years 2004 to 2009. Information about utility usage has however been recorded since the beginning of this financial year.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on energy efficiency measures for his Department's estate in each year from 2004 to 2009; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of that expenditure; and what plans he has for future energy efficiency measures.

Ann McKechin: Exact figures for energy efficiency measures are not available in the requested format. All works carried out where possible include measures designed to improve energy efficiency but those measures are not costed separately.
	Energy efficiency in the Scotland Office's London branch is measured by the Display Energy Certificate that the building is required to have under the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007. A copy of the certificate and the associated advisory report have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Plans for future energy efficiency measures across the Government estate are described in the Sustainable Procurement and Operations on the Government Estate Delivery Plan Update (December 2008).

Departmental Information Officers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost to his Department of  (a) press officers and  (b) other press office staff has been in each year since 1997.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The cost to the Department of press office staff is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1999-2000(1) 44,078 
			 2000-01 139,705 
			 2001-02 134,702 
			 2002-03 135,919 
			 2203-04 114,643 
			 2004-05 105,266 
			 2005-06 93,114 
			 2006-07 (2)70,283 
			 2007-08 113,236 
			 2008-09 124,373 
			 (1) Part year. (2 )Running under complement. 
		
	
	The press office provides support to Scotland Office Ministers and officials, as well as the Office of the Advocate General. It has also been involved in providing logistical support to the Commission on Scottish Devolution and the Boundary Commission for Scotland. It operates a 24-hour on-call service for Ministers and has the responsibility for maintaining the Scotland Office website and media planning across the office.

Public Consultation

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what mechanism his Department has in place to monitor the content of comments submitted by members of the public to his ministerial blog.

Ann McKechin: The blogging software integrated into the Scotland Office website automatically stores comments for moderation before they are published live, in line with good web practice.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Pay

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many senior civil servants in his Department are paid an annual salary of more than £64,766.

Paul Goggins: 28 members of the senior civil service working within the Northern Ireland Office received a salary in excess of £64,766 in the financial year 2008-09.

Departmental Pay

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many senior civil servants in his Department who received an annual salary of more than £63,291 in financial year 2008-09 were paid a bonus; and how much bonus was paid in each case.

Paul Goggins: 26 members of the senior civil service working in the Northern Ireland Office and receiving a salary in excess of £63,291 in the financial year 2008-09 were awarded non-consolidated performance payments in line with the Government's response to the independent Senior Salaries Review Body. These payments ranged between £4,000 and £18,000.

Police: Museum

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the establishment of a police museum in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: An outline business case for a new police museum was submitted to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) in April 2009, following work done by the RUC George Cross Foundation with support and advice from the NIO. Before any decision can be taken, consideration needs to be given to the case in the context of the current financial environment, the project's relationship with other work on the past, and the range of funding options.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

EU Laws

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the statutory obligations upon it provided for in legislation introduced as a consequence of obligations arising from EU legislation in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: No estimate has been made of the cost to the Department of the statutory obligations upon it provided for in legislation on matters for which it is responsible which were introduced as a consequence of obligations arising from EU legislation in the most recent 12 months.

World Heritage Sites

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy to continue to accept applications from additional cultural sites for inclusion in the UK's tentative list of future nominations for World Heritage status.

Barbara Follett: My Department is currently reviewing its World Heritage Policy. As part of this we have held a public consultation and are analysing the results. A decision on whether to revise the current UK tentative list of possible nominations for World Heritage inscription will be made in the autumn based upon this analysis.
	If we do decide to prepare a new tentative list then all interested sites will be considered for inclusion on it and appropriate guidelines on the process will be made available.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much on average the Access to Work initiative has paid to employers per registered person to date.

Jonathan R Shaw: Access to Work is a specialist disability programme delivered by Jobcentre Plus, which provides practical advice and support to disabled individuals either in paid employment or with a job or work trial to start. It helps to overcome work related obstacles resulting from their disability through a system of grants towards the cost of providing support. The programme reimburses costs incurred either by the individual or by any third party on their behalf. The programme does not therefore directly fund employers. In 2008-09 the Access to Work programme spent £81,223,332(1).
	(1 )This figure is an indicative one for the 2008-09 operating year and is subject to sign off of the DWP Resource Accounts by the National Audit Office.

Asbestos

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance her Department issues to  (a) employers and  (b) employees on risks arising from the presence of asbestos in commercial properties.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 2 July 2009
	The Health and Safety Executive has produced a number of pieces of guidance for employers and employees on asbestos in commercial properties:
	Two Approved Codes of Practice; "Work with Materials Containing Asbestos" and "The Management of Asbestos in Non-domestic Premises".
	Two guidance documents for those who manage buildings: "A Comprehensive Guide to Managing Asbestos in Premises'" and "A Short Guide to Managing Asbestos in Premises". An online guidance tool to help those responsible for managing asbestos in buildings is about to be launched.
	Two further documents for employers and employees who work with asbestos such as building maintenance trades in commercial properties: "Introduction to Asbestos Essentials", and "Asbestos Essentials".
	In addition, a number of free leaflets are available in hard copy and on the HSE website; "Manage Buildings? You Must Manage Asbestos", the "Duty to Manage Checklist" and 'Guidance for Safety Representatives". HSE and partner organisations have been campaigning to raise awareness among tradesmen most recently through the Hidden Killer campaign which included radio and press advertising and a campaign leaflet and flyer.

Carer's Allowance

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department has made an estimate of the effect on the number of carers eligible for carer's allowance of raising the current earnings threshold for eligibility to  (a) £150,  (b) £200 and  (c) £250 per week.

Jonathan R Shaw: Data limitations and lack of information regarding carers' eligibility for carer's allowance mean that we are unable to estimate accurately the effect on the number of eligible carers of extending the earnings limit.
	We recognise the importance of supporting carers who want to combine work with caring. However, we also need to maintain a balance between the income of carers on benefits who can combine paid work with caring, and those who cannot.

Departmental Official Visits

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) consultants for and  (c) employees of her Department travelled to Alicante for the launch of the We're closing in campaign; how many nights of accommodation were paid for from the public purse; and how much this exercise cost.

Helen Goodman: The launch of the benefit fraud hotline took place on Thursday 25 September 2008. One Minister and two DWP officials travelled to Alicante the previous evening and stayed one night. No consultants were involved in the event. The cost of this exercise was approximately £4,200.00.

Departmental Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will assess the merits of providing the face-to-face services administered by her Department's agencies in partnership with the post office network.

Helen Goodman: The Government have now agreed a new contract for the Post office card account with Post Office Ltd. The contract will run through to March 2015, with the option of a two-year extension beyond that. The Government are looking to see whether more of their services can be delivered through post offices and my Department is taking an active part in those discussions. We want to deliver services in the most efficient way, which deliver both value for money and provide the best customer service. And we are always open to ideas about the role that the post office can play in that.

Departmental Telephone Services

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations her Department has made to the Telephone Helplines Association on the inclusion of her Department's benefit helplines on their industry list; and what estimate she has made of the savings which would result to  (a) her Department and  (b) service users.

Jim Knight: My Department believes strongly that calls to its 0800 numbers should be free to mobile phone users as they already are for callers from landlines. Officials from the Department have accordingly approached the Telephone Helplines Association and are now in discussion with mobile telephone operators seeking to secure the Department's customers a free service when contacting the Department's 0800 numbers via a mobile phone.
	The respective costs and savings will depend on the arrangements entered into by operators and the Department.

Disability Living Allowance

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of disability living allowance have had the mobility component of their allowance amended from the higher rate to the lower rate in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the year to November 2008, 4,470 disability living allowance recipients were recorded as having higher mobility award in payment which was subsequently reduced to a lower rate mobility award.
	 Notes:
	1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. The figure quoted shows the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.
	3. The number of recipients to have moved from a higher to a lower rate mobility award over the 12 month period was derived by identifying those people on consecutive scans whose mobility rate had changed from higher to lower in each available quarter i.e. November 2007 to February 2008, February 2008 to May 2008, May 2008 to August 2008 and August 2008 to November 2008. This is an approximation and will include, for example, some who leave disability living allowance and make a second successful claim within the quarter at the lower rate, and those on the higher rate whose level of award is reviewed and revised to the lower rate from the start of the claim.
	 Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Disability Living Allowance: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance in Tamworth constituency gave a severe visual impairment as a reason for claiming.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Disability living allowance cases in payment where blindness/visual disorder is recorded as the main disabling condition, November 2008 
			   Number 
			 Tamworth parliamentary constituency 10 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. From October 2008 the way in which the disabling condition is recorded on the live system changed. Disabling conditions are now recorded as primary and secondary, (previously recorded as disability care and mobility codes). For existing cases a mapping exercise was carried out which assigned disability care code to primary disabling condition and disability mobility code to secondary condition. Information Directorate has updated the methodology used to derive main disabling condition to reflect this change in the live system. The old category D08 (blindness) is now subdivided into a range of more specific condition codes. These are referred to by the over-arching title "Visual Disorder".  3. The preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. However, the 5 per cent. sample data are generally the preferred source for analysis on disabling condition as information is more complete for disabling condition on the 5 per cent. sample (some recipients of disability living allowance who transferred from the attendance allowance system may not have been allocated a specific disabling condition code. This problem can be corrected on the sample data but not on the WPLS data. The number of cases affected is decreasing over time). In this case the WPLS data have been used as some of the caseload figures produced are very small and so would have a high level of statistical variation should the sample data have been used.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Disabled: Discrimination

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 1027-28W, on the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, if she will publish reviews of contractors' compliance with disability discrimination legislation.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department has no plans to publish reviews of contractors' compliance with disability discrimination legislation.
	All DWP welfare to work contracts include detailed terms and conditions relevant to the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. DWP contract management processes are designed to ensure that contractors comply with all statutory and legislative requirements. In addition, external inspection and validation will ensure the quality and accuracy of their activities.

Employment and Support Allowance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assistance for returning to work will be given to existing incapacity benefit claimants who are not in the invest to save pathfinder areas once they have transferred on to the employment and support allowance;
	(2)  whether the back-to-work regime for existing incapacity benefit claimants who have transferred on to the employment and support allowance (ESA) will be the same as for new ESA claimants.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Pathways to Work programme was first introduced in pilot areas in October 2003. It has always been available to existing incapacity benefits claimants on a voluntary basis, as has our suite of specialist disability employment provision. In April 2008 Pathways to Work completed its national roll-out and is now accessible by everybody receiving incapacity benefits and Employment and Support Allowance in Great Britain.
	Conditionality regimes for existing incapacity benefits and Employment and Support Allowance claimants are set out in the White Paper 'Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future' (Cm 7506).
	Upon transfer to Employment and Support Allowance, existing incapacity benefits claimants not in the "invest to save" pathfinder areas will receive:
	(i) three mandatory Work Focused Interviews and access to other elements of the Pathways to Work programme, for claimants aged under 50;
	(ii) one mandatory Work Focused Interview and access to other elements of Pathways to Work for claimants aged 50 and above; and
	(iii) pilots trialing new forms of support for claimants aged 50 and above.
	In addition to the above, claimants will continue to have access to the Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Adviser who can offer advice on the range of specialist disability provision for those with complex disability related barriers to work. A new specialist disability programme will be introduced in October 2010 to replace some of the existing provision.
	Nationally, new Employment and Support Allowance claimants will continue to have access to back to work support through Pathways to Work. From late 2010 we will extend to two years the period during which new claimants are required to engage with us through work-focused interviews. In addition Employment and Support Allowance claimants in progression to work pathfinder areas, or personalised employment programme pilots, will be required to undertake work related activity in certain circumstances from 2010.
	Claimants placed in the Support Group will not be required to undertake any mandatory activities, although they will be able to volunteer for back-to-work support.
	Once disabled people have secured a job or have a firm job offer they may also be eligible for the Access to Work programme which can assist with the costs of support to help them overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability.

Employment and Support Allowance

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if her Department will add those in receipt of high care component of Disability Living Allowance to the list of those considered as having limited capability for work for employment and support allowance.

Jonathan R Shaw: Receipt of Disability Living Allowance at any level does not automatically mean that a person will be considered as having limited capability for work for the purposes of Employment and Support Allowance. Entitlement criteria for Employment and Support Allowance are based on functional ability, not on the benefits an individual receives or their diagnosis. Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance depends on a person's care and mobility needs, not their capability for work. Each person is assessed on an individual basis to determine whether their level of functional ability is such that it is unreasonable to require them to work.

Energy Supply: Disclosure of Information

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when her Department expects to begin data-sharing with energy suppliers.

Angela Eagle: DWP and DECC are working with energy suppliers on the precise details of this project, we are hoping to start operating the scheme by the end of the financial year 2009-10.

Housing Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects to bring forward proposals to reform the housing benefit regime, as referred to on page 43 of the Building Britain's Future document.

Helen Goodman: As was set out in the Building Britain's Future document, we intend to consult on the reform of housing benefit later on this year.

Housing Benefit: Local Housing Allowance

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of housing benefit claimants who have cancelled their benefit immediately prior to making a claim for local housing allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available.

Jobcentre Plus: Standards

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent guidance her Department has issued to Jobcentre Plus offices on waiting times in jobcentres; and if she will place in the Library a copy of such guidance.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what recent guidance his Department has issued to Jobcentre Plus offices on waiting times in jobcentres; and if he will place in the Library a copy of such guidance. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Whilst we have not issued any specific guidance on waiting times, as part of our commitment to service standards, we always try to see customers on time if they have an appointment. To help manage rising business volumes we have implemented a number of related measures. These include speeding-up the recruitment, training and deployment of additional staff; and adopting a first-available personal adviser approach to make more effective use of resources and to minimise waiting times.

Pathways to Work

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what disability impact assessments there have been under provider-led Pathways to Work arrangements in respect of persons with a mental health condition in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: A Disability Equality Impact Assessment on Pathways to Work rollout and incapacity benefits reform was published on 9 May 2007.
	It can be accessed at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/docs/DEIA.pdf
	An externally commissioned impact study into provider-led pathways, reporting in June 2010 will include impact assessments for those with mental health conditions.

Pension Credit: East of England

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in  (a) North West Cambridgeshire constituency,  (b) Cambridgeshire,  (c) Peterborough,  (d) Huntingdonshire and  (e) the East of England region received pension credit in each year since the inception of the scheme.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Households in receipt of pension credit November 2003 to November 2008 
			  November each year  North West Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency  Peterborough local authority  Huntingdonshire local authority  Cambridgeshire county  East of England 
			 2003 2,430 5,340 3,100 13,280 159,940 
			 2004 3,360 6,950 4,420 18,580 215,210 
			 2005 3,550 7,140 4,710 19,440 223,030 
			 2006 3,590 7,240 4,480 19,760 226,900 
			 2007 3,630 7,420 4,800 19,620 227,040 
			 2008 3,610 7,380 4,750 19,530 226,880 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Pension Credit: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point have received pension credit in each year since its inception.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Households in receipt of pension credit in Essex and Castle Point 
			  November each year  Essex  Castle Point 
			 2003 38,390 2,680 
			 2004 52,370 3,740 
			 2005 54,190 3,910 
			 2006 55,380 4,030 
			 2007 55,500 4,130 
			 2008 55,870 4,200 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Pension Credit: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many pensioners in  (a) Hemel Hempstead,  (b) Dacorum,  (c) Hertfordshire and  (d) the South East received pension credit in each year since its introduction;
	(2)  how many pension credit recipients live in Hemel Hempstead.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Households in receipt of pension credit November 2003 to November 2008 
			  November each year  Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency  Dacorum local authority  Hertfordshire county  South East 
			 2003 2,570 3,280 25,130 205,480 
			 2004 3,450 4,390 33,010 271,000 
			 2005 3,520 4,480 34,050 280,270 
			 2006 3,500 4,470 34,410 284,930 
			 2007 3,490 4,460 34,290 285,940 
			 2008 3,430 4,380 34,080 286,680 
			  Notes:  1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Pensioners: Income

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the average  (a) cash and  (b) percentage change in household income for (i) a single pensioner and (ii) a pensioner couple in receipt of (A) basic state pension and (B) income support under the minimum income guarantee since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information that is available is shown in the following table. Figures are presented in 2007-08 prices in order to allow real terms comparisons.
	
		
			  Average weekly net income after housing costs of pensioner units by receipt of income support for pensioners/pension credit and state pension, 2007-08 prices 
			   1996-97  (£)  2007-08  (£)  Percentage change in real terms 
			  Income support for pensioners/pension credit
			 Couples 279 395 42 
			 Singles 124 187 51 
			  State pension recipients
			 Couples 295 415 41 
			 Singles 129 193 50 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are expressed in 2007-08 prices. 2. Net income after housing costs is income from all sources received by the pensioner unit including income from social security benefits, earnings from employment, any private pension, and tax credits, less direct taxes including council tax and housing costs which include rent, water rates and mortgage interest payments. 3. Based on the Family Resources Survey and as such subject to a degree of sampling and non sampling error.  Source: Pensioners' Incomes Series

Remploy: Finance

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what grant funding her Department provided for Remploy in 2008-09; and how much it has allocated to Remploy for 2009-10.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Remploy modernisation plan agreed core grant funding for Remploy of £121.5 million in 2008-09 and £118.5 million in 2009-10.
	The Minister for Disabled People will submit a statement to the House about Remploy's performance and expenditure in 2008-09 and targets for 2009-10 in the autumn.

Welfare Reform Bill

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what safeguards she plans to put in place to ensure that those who are paid benefits in error under the provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill will not be subject to the sanctions proposed by that Bill if enacted; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In cases where benefit has been paid in error then, under the provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill, sanctions would not apply.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Climate Change

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of intensive livestock farming on climate change; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA has commissioned a number of studies, some of which are ongoing, to assess the environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions from several agricultural commodities throughout their lifecycle. This includes assessment of livestock production under intensive livestock systems. The most relevant studies are listed:
	Project AC0204—A study of the scope for the application of research in animal genomics and breeding to reduce nitrogen and methane emissions from livestock based food chains - published in April 2008.
	Project IS0222—Developing and delivering environmental Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) of agricultural systems - due to be completed in September 2009.
	Project AC0210—Economic and environmental impacts of livestock production in the UK- due to be completed in July 2010.

Animal Feed

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made on the effect on the environment of the livestock industry's use of soy-based animal feed; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: While no formal assessment has been made, we are currently considering the impact of the use of soya-based animal feed on the environment. In view of soya-based meal being a by-product of oil production, and there currently being no other mainstream uses for this by-product, reduction in its use for animal feed may not therefore lead to a reduction in soya bean production itself. Whatever feed source was to replace soya based feed would also have its own environmental impact.
	DEFRA is funding ongoing research in conjunction with industry to look at alternative home grown protein rich animal feed crops, such as lupin, and assess the impact of such alternatives for both the environment and the livestock industry.

Animal Health: Manpower

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each office of Animal Health and its predecessors in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I will place this information in the Library.

Animal Health: Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid in bonuses to  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff in the Animal Health Agency in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table details how much was paid in bonuses to  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff in the Animal Health Agency.
	Data are for the last three years only, reflecting whole financial years that Animal Health has been a separate financial entity from DEFRA.
	
		
			 £ 
			   Group( 1)  Bonus type  Type total( 2)  Group total( 3)  Annual total  Grand total 
			 2008 Directors Special 3,704.00 — — — 
			   Annual 53,500.00 — — — 
			 57,204.00 — — 
			  Senior managers Special 62,929.00  — — 
			   Annual 2,850.48 — — — 
			 65,779.48 — — 
			  Specialist and delivery managers Special 94,279.00 — — — 
			   Annual 2,341.51 — — — 
			 96,620.51 — — 
			  Executive support and admin staff Special 124,144.00 — — — 
			   Annual 7,149.08 — — — 
			 131,293.08 — — 
			 — 350,897.07 — 
			
			 2007 Directors Special 44,000.00 — — — 
			   Annual  — — — 
			 44,000.00 — — 
			  Senior managers Special 50,148.00 — — — 
			   Annual 1,971.42 — — — 
			 52,119.42 — — 
			  Specialist and delivery managers Special 98,445.00 — — — 
			   Annual 2,200.02 — — — 
			 100,645.02 — — 
			  Executive support and admin staff Special 135,841.00 — — — 
			   Annual 9,528.57 — — — 
			 145,369.57 — — 
			 — 342,134.01 — 
			
			 2006 Directors Special 33,000.00 — — — 
			   Annual  — — — 
			 33,000.00 — — 
			  Senior managers Special 51,738.00
			   Annual 2,900.00 — — — 
			 54,638.00 — — 
			  Specialist and delivery managers Special 79,511.00 — — — 
			   Annual 24,625.00 — — — 
			 104,136.00 — — 
			  Executive support and admin staff Special 114,235.00 — — — 
			   Annual 26,995.00 — — — 
			 141,230.00 — — 
			 — 333,004.00 — 
			 — — 1,026,035.08 
			 (1) The standard grades have been categorised into these groups as follows:  Directors: Senior civil service.  Senior managers: Grade 6, Grade 7, senior executive officer, regional operations director.  Specialist and delivery managers: Veterinary officer, senior animal health officer, animal health officer, regional field manager, technical team leader, regional veterinary leader, veterinary team leader, egg marketing inspector, regional egg marketing inspector.  Executive support and admin staff: Regional resilience manager, regional administration manager, higher executive officer, executive officer, administrative officer, administrative assistant, personal secretary, Pay band 2.0 Department of Environment and Transport (DETR), Pay band 5.3 DETR, Support Grade Band 1  (2) Data are based on the current staff listings. The figures do not include any staff paid bonuses in the last three years who are no longer with the agency.  (3) Data are based on the individual's current grade. Anyone who has been promoted in the last three years will be shown at their current grade, not at the grade they were when the bonus was received.

Dairy Farmers of Britain

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make  (a) an estimate of the cost and  (b) an assessment of compatibility with EU state-aid rules of provision of compensation to members of the Dairy Farmers of Britain co-operative for the loss of payments for milk supplied to the co-operative in May 2009.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In response:
	 (a) The Receivers (PwC) have estimated that the total financial costs to farmers who were members and former members of Dairy Farmers of Britain on 3 June are around £83 million.
	 (b) The proportion of this figure which arises from the failure to pay the May milk cheques is a matter for the Receiver.
	Government have considered whether we can compensate farmers, but do not plan to do so.

Dairy Farming: Manpower

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy farmers there were in each of the last three years; and how many  (a) entered and  (b) left the sector in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA does not collect figures on the number of farmers who enter and leave the dairy sector in each year. Figures from the June Survey of Agriculture only indicate activity on registered holdings in England at June each year and therefore show net change only.
	The number of farmers on holdings where dairy is the predominant activity are shown in the following table. Prior to 2007 the method of categorising holdings into predominant farming activity was calculated using responses from the June Survey. From 2007 onwards data from the Cattle Tracing System has been used. Numbers of dairy holdings for 2006 are shown using both data sources for comparison. To show the overall trend across the change in data source a longer time series has also been included.
	
		
			Number of dairy holdings( 1) 
			   Number of farmers  Survey  d ata  CTS d ata 
			 2000 31,481 15,219 — 
			 2001 30,178 14,293 — 
			 2002 30,425 14,537 — 
			 2003 28,918 13,770 — 
			 2004 28,057 13,264 — 
			 2005 26,168 12,918 — 
			 2006 25,706 12,628 11,079 
			 2007 21,082 — 10,649 
			 2008 20,122 — 10,112 
			 (1) Based on predominant farming activity.  Notes: (1). Farmers includes full and part time farmers, partners, directors and spouses if working on the holding.  Source:  June Survey of Agriculture

Departmental Forensic Science

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department operates an in-house forensic science laboratory.

Dan Norris: The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), an executive agency of DEFRA, currently undertakes a wide range of forensic-style analyses to detect, identify and measure DNA, veterinary drugs and pesticide residues in samples from plants and animals. Most of this work is done as part of national surveillance programmes or scientific research.
	FERA is exploring new ways of exploiting its extensive testing facilities and capability in a wider range of applications, including forensics, but at present it is not providing a commercial service in this field.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2009,  Official Report, column 816W, on departmental ICT, what the  (a) expected completion date and  (b) estimated cost is of each current major information technology project in his Department.

Dan Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the earlier reply given to Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 22 June 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, columns WA257-58.

Departmental Manpower

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many qualified  (a) lepidopterists,  (b) botanists,  (c) lichenologists,  (d) bryologists and  (e) mycologists are employed by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make an assessment of levels of recruitment and retention of personnel with qualifications in these disciplines.

Dan Norris: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The main focus of expertise in DEFRA for the fields listed is at the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera).
	Fera employs the following numbers of specialists in the fields covered by the question:
	
		
			  Specialism  Fera employees 
			 Lepidoptery 3 
			 Botany 3 
			 Lichenology 0 
			 Bryology 0 
			 Mycology 6 
		
	
	Fera has high levels of staff retention in the three specialisms in which staff are employed and, as a consequence, has no plans to recruit to these areas in the foreseeable future.

Dogs: Tagging

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities have established dog microchipping schemes; and when each such scheme commenced.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA does not collect this information.

Fisheries

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of income of fishing fleets of the operation of  (a) the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance and  (b) the European Fisheries Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The European Fisheries Fund (EFF), and Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) before it, aim to help the fishing industry adapt and restructure to changing circumstances. The range of grant aided measures is very broad and includes investment in harbour facilities which can have a direct impact on incomes, as well as indirect benefit through investment in fish processing and marketing to sustain and develop markets.
	Mid-term evaluation of FIFG shows that 40 harbour projects and 154 processing and marketing companies were assisted between 2001 and June 2005.(1) In addition, £5.2 million was spent on launching 71 projects led by industry members, including 15 promotional and 11 market research schemes. As a direct measure to assist fishermen, £900,000 was spent financing gear selectivity trials and vessel operational efficiencies.(2)
	The European Commission has appointed a consortium led by Ernst and Young to undertake the ex-post evaluation for FIFG which is to be completed by the end of 2009.
	EFF is a new scheme which has operated in the UK since September 2008, and as such, it is too early to assess its impact. EFF has an indicator of gross value added for the UK specifically to measure profitability; from a baseline of £988 million in 2006, moving to £1,030 million in 2010 and £1,070 million in 2015. Full details can be found in the UK Operational Programme which is available on the Marine and Fisheries Agency website at:
	www.mfa.gov.uk(3)
	(1) Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) Programme in Non-Objective 1 Areas of the United Kingdom (2000-06), Update of the mid-term evaluation, Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd., 2005.
	(2) Ibid.
	(3) UK Operational Programme, European Fisheries Fund, September 2008.

Floods

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects on levels of flood risk of the scenarios shown in the most recent UK climate projections.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The UK Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09) show that the climate in the UK is likely to change, and present probabilities for different potential climate outcomes. This information will help flood and coastal erosion risk management operating authorities, such as the Environment Agency, improve their risk-based decision making.
	The parameters that are available from UKCP09 do not allow direct estimation of flood risk. Further synthesis and modelling will be necessary to assess the likely effects on levels of flood risk under the different UKCP09 projections.
	However, DEFRA and the Environment Agency are currently managing two linked research projects, which aim to provide a better understanding of what the projections will mean for future river flows and how the information can be best used in decision making.
	The Environment Agency recently published its Long Term Investment Strategy. This suggested flood and coastal risk management expenditure needs to increase to £1,040 million a year by 2035, plus inflation, in order to counter expected climate change and avoid more properties being placed at significant risk. This is compared to the £570 million to be spent on asset management and improvement in 2010-11. The climate scenarios used in the investment strategy are consistent with the latest climate projections data.
	We expect the UKCP09 projections to be used in future assessments of flood and coastal risks, and in risk management plans, strategies and projects, such as the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2009,  Official Report, column 380W, on fluoride: drinking water, what assessment the Drinking Water Inspectorate made of the adequacy of the remedial action taken by Three Valleys Water following the addition of excessive levels of fluoride to the water supply in 2000.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Drinking Water Inspectorate has provided the following information about the assessment of the single sample result on 6 July 2000.
	The natural level of fluoride in the source water is between 0.07 and 0.25 mg/l (the European maximum level permitted is 1.5 mg/l). There is no additional fluoride put into the water at the treatment works. The single adverse result recorded on 6 July probably arose as a consequence of an error in the sampling/analytical process. However this could not be proven conclusively. All samples in the nine years since 6 July 2000 have given satisfactory results.

Pesticides

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects on agricultural production of the use of  (a) Aminopyralid and  (b) manure containing Aminopyralid; what recent representations he has received on such use; whether he plans to relicense Aminopyralid; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: Aminopyralid is known to be a useful herbicide for control of broadleaved weeds in high production grassland.
	The Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) considered applications for approval of two aminopyralid products for use on grassland at their 337(th) and 338(th) meetings on 12 May and 30 June 2009.
	The minutes of the 337(th) meeting can be found on the ACP website and the minutes of the 338(th) meeting will be posted there in due course:
	http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/acp_home.asp
	DEFRA has received a number of representations from individuals and allotment organisations concerned about the possibility of manure containing aminopyralid becoming available to gardeners. The applications for approval of these new products include tighter restrictions than previous approvals and the company concerned has plans for a stewardship programme to ensure that the risk of aminopyralid containing manure entering the supply chain is minimised.
	Ministers will consider whether the issues raised have been adequately addressed and approvals can be granted when advice is received from the ACP.

Pesticides: Public Footpaths

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Environment Agency has issued to local authorities on the spraying of pesticides on public footways and pathways.

Dan Norris: "Blanket spraying" is a colloquial term commonly used to describe the spraying of pesticides over large areas, usually in amenity situations such as on pavements or kerbsides and on parkland. The code of practice for using plant protection products provides guidance on the use of pesticides in all situations, including how to comply with the law and protect people and the environment when using pesticides. This code was sent to all local authorities when it was issued in 2006, and has been drawn to the attention of attendees at a variety of meetings including weed control conference at which local authorities have been present.
	In line with the UK Strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides, the Government are seeking to minimise the amount of "blanket spraying" (and any other unnecessary application of pesticides). This will be done as part of a proportionate and integrated package of measures to reduce further the risks arising from amenity use of pesticides, particularly in implementing the forthcoming EU directive on the sustainable use of pesticides.
	The Environment Agency has worked with Government and others on the development of the UK Strategy and supports the measures within it for reducing the impact of amenity pesticides on the environment.

Pets: EU Law

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to request an extension of the UK derogation from EU legislation for pet travel.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The European Commission recently announced a proposal to extend the UK derogation on pet travel rules until 31 December 2011. This means that, subject to the agreement of the Council and European Parliament, the UK's current pet travel rules will remain in place until then.
	In the meantime, DEFRA will continue to have discussions with the Commission and others on the movement of pets into the UK and around the wider European Community to ensure that we have the right long-term disease controls.

Recycling: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of waste has been recycled by each local authority area in the Ceremonial County of Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 24 June 2009,  Official Report, column 943W.

Sheep: Tagging

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take at EU level following the rejection of the Government's proposed amendment to Regulation 21/2004 on electronic identification of sheep at the EU Agriculture Council meeting of 22 June 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We are continuing to work closely with the Commission and have received positive feedback from them on a further proposal to reduce the EID implementation burden on industry, which would provide for individual recording to be carried out at critical control points i.e. markets and abattoirs on behalf of the keeper. If secured, this could reduce industry implementation costs by a further 35 to 40 per cent.

Water Supply

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the volume of water lost through leaks from water pipes managed by  (a) Severn Trent Water and  (b) South Staffordshire Water in each of the last five years; what steps he is taking to reduce the volume of water lost through leaks from water pipes; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Water companies report annual leakage figures to Ofwat as part of their annual regulatory returns. Ofwat publishes leakage performance annually in its Service and Delivery report. Ofwat sets the water companies targets to reduce their leakage to the economic level, the level of leakage at which it would cost more to make further reductions than to produce water from another source. Since 1997, total leakage has been reduced by 27 per cent. in England and Wales. All water companies met their leakage targets during 2007-08.
	Leakage performance for Severn Trent Water and South Staffordshire Water for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08 was as follows:
	
		
			  Performance (Megalitres/day) 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Severn Trent 512 502 540 525 490 
			 South Staffordshire 71 74 73 73 72

Water: Meters

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water meters were installed by water supply companies in homes in West Bromwich East constituency in each of the last three years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry, does not hold data on how many meters are installed in individual constituencies.
	The following table are the figures for how many water meters Severn Trent Water and South Staffordshire Water installed, in each of the last three years. Severn Trent and South Staffordshire Water supply the West Bromwich East constituency.
	
		
			  Number of meters installed— households 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Severn Trent 38,594 33,215 44,331 
			 South Staffordshire 6,176 4,344 7,568

TRANSPORT

A1: A421

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the improvements to the Black Cat roundabout at the A1/A421 junction at Eaton Socon cost; and for how long the improvement works affected traffic on the A1.

Chris Mole: Improvements to the Black Cat Roundabout at the A1/A421 Junction at Eaton Socon were carried out as part of the A421 Great Barford Bypass project and as such were not costed separately.
	Traffic management and speed restrictions were instigated at the Black Cat Roundabout in June 2005 while work took place to enlarge the roundabout. The work took approximately 14 months to complete.

A1: A421

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the costs arising from delays to traffic on the northbound carriageway of the A1 south of the Black Cat roundabout in each month in the five years before the roundabout was enlarged; and what estimate he has made of such costs in each month since completion of the improvements.

Chris Mole: Improvements to the Blackcat Roundabout were made as part of the A421 Great Barford Bypass scheme. The work to enlarge the roundabout started in June 2005 and lasted approximately 14 months.
	The traffic information requested is not available for the full five years prior to June 2005. However, information is available from September 2002 onwards. The following table provides the information from that date to the present:
	
		
			  Black Cat northbound approach vehicle hours delay (VHD) 
			  Road Link = A1 between A603 and A421 
			   Month  Total vehicle hour delay (VHD)  Cost (£) 
			 2002 September 11,412 128,727.36 
			  October 8,426 95,045.28 
			  November 7,730 87,194.40 
			  December 6,200 69,936.00 
			 
			 2003 January 6,623 74,707.44 
			  February 6,334 71,447.52 
			  March 7,278 82,095.84 
			  April 8,244 92,992.32 
			  May 7,498 84,577.44 
			  June 7,563 85,310.64 
			  July 8,505 95,936.40 
			  August 6,106 68,875.68 
			  September 8,381 94,537.68 
			  October 8,774 98,970.72 
			  November 7,423 83,731.44 
			  December 7,271 82,016.88 
			 
			 2004 January 6,852 77,290.56 
			  February 6,170 69,597.60 
			  March 7,158 80,742.24 
			  April 6,027 67,984.56 
			  May 8,311 93,748.08 
			  June 7,450 84,036.00 
			  July 8,147 91,898.16 
			  August 6,969 78,610.32 
			  September 6,760 76,252.80 
			  October 9,355 105,524.40 
			  November 10,541 118,902.48 
			  December 8,011 90,364.08 
			 
			 2005 January 5,666 63,912.48 
			  February 5,457 61,554.96 
			  March 8,369 94,402.32 
			  April 6,942 78,305.76 
			  May 8,248 93,037.44 
			  June 9,200 103,776.00 
			  July 11,354 128,073.12 
			  August 10,738 121,124.64 
			  September 19,135 215,842.80 
			  October 22,301 251,555.28 
			  November 16,394 184,924.32 
			  December 16,474 185,826.72 
			 
			 2006 January 13,220 149,121.60 
			  February 30,306 341,851.68 
			  March 22,441 253,134.48 
			  April 16,168 182,375.04 
			  May 20,120 226,953.60 
			  June 23,080 260,342.40 
			  July 16,189 182,611.92 
			  August 7,058 79,614.24 
			  September 9,283 104,712.24 
			  October 7,503 84,633.84 
			  November 9,781 110,329.68 
			  December 7,763 87,566.64 
			 
			 2007 January 6,396 72,146.88 
			  February 7,490 84,487.20 
			  March 8,493 95,801.04 
			  April 9,233 104,148.24 
			  May 9,841 111,006.48 
			  June 9,452 106,618.56 
			  July 11,768 132,743.04 
			  August 11,302 127,486.56 
			  September 11,312 127,599.36 
			  October 12,969 146,290.32 
			  November 10,815 121,993.20 
			  December 7,788 87,848.64 
			 
			 2008 January 5,067 57,155.76 
			  February 8,541 96,342.48 
			  March 7,554 85,209.12 
			  April 8,941 100,854.48 
			  May 11,058 124,734.24 
			  June 7,628 86,043.84 
			  July 9,412 106,167.36 
			  August 10,789 121,699.92 
			  September 7,351 82,919.28 
			  October 9,243 104,261.04 
			  November 8,193 92,417.04 
			  December 6,972 78,644.16 
			 
			 2009 January 5,800 65,424.00 
			  February 7,116 80,268.48 
			  March 7,226 81,509.28 
			  April 7,724 87,126.72 
			  May 7,111 80,212.08

Bus Services: Concessions

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many pensioners resident in Milton Keynes received concessionary bus passes in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
	The last information held by the Department was that as of 17 April 2009, Milton Keynes local authority had issued approximately 25,000 of the new smartcard concessionary passes. This includes applications from disabled people as well as those aged 60 and over.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

James Paice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from road-based transport of administrative operations by his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport's estimates for carbon emissions arising from road transport amount to 11,116.5 tonnes of CO2 in 2006-07, and to 9,784.4 tonnes in 2007-08. This equates to 0.604 tonnes per full-time equivalent member of staff in 2006-07, and 0.514 tonnes in 2007-08.

Departmental Pay

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many full-time equivalent civil servants working in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies outside London earn a consolidated salary of less than (i) £15,000, (ii) £16,000, (iii) £18,000, (iv) £20,000 and (v) £25,000, excluding bonuses.

Chris Mole: The number of full-time equivalent civil servants working in the Department for Transport earning less than £25,000 excluding bonuses is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 £15,000 490 
			 £16,000 1,697 
			 £18,000 4,210 
			 £20,000 2,027 
			 £25,000 3,586 
		
	
	The number of full-time equivalent civil servants working in the Department for Transport agencies earning less than £25,000 excluding bonuses is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 £15,000 490 
			 £16,000 1,697 
			 £18,000 4,205 
			 £20,000 2,010 
			 £25,000 3,522 
		
	
	These salaries are based on 1 June 2009.

Departmental Pay

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of  (a) white and  (b) non-white staff of his Department of each (i) grade and (ii) pay band have received the highest performance marking in each reporting year since the inception of Department for Transport (central).

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport (central Department) recorded the following proportion of staff who received the highest marking in their annual appraisal in each year since formation:
	
		
			  percentage 
			   Ethnic  m inority  White 
			 2007-08 20.2 30.0 
			 2006-07 19.9 30.0 
			 2005-06 10.0 27.0 
			 2004-05 20.0 27.0 
			 2003-04 14.4 29.6 
			 2002-03 14.3 26.6 
		
	
	Pay band breakdown for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is available via our external website. Previous years pay band breakdown is available only at disproportionate cost.

DVLA: Buildings

Si�n James: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices excluding DVLA Swansea have lease agreements with a break clause that will allow the property to be vacated in  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011.

Paul Clark: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Local Offices with a break clause, allowing the property to be vacated in the time requested each year are, 2009 none; 2010 Lincoln and Sheffield local offices and 2011 Chelmsford local office.

DVLA: Buildings

Si�n James: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices excluding DVLA Swansea have a lease which will expire in  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011.

Paul Clark: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency local offices where the lease will expire in the relevant years are listed as follows:
	 2009
	Bangor
	Chester
	Inverness
	Leeds
	Stockton
	Truro
	Wimbledon
	 2010
	Norwich
	Portsmouth
	 2011
	Aberdeen
	Peterborough
	Sidcup

DVLA: Manpower

Si�n James: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many staff are employed at each Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) office, excluding DVLA Swansea.

Paul Clark: The number of staff employed at each Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Local Office (LO) and Continuous Registration Enforcement Centre (CREC) excluding Swansea are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Aberdeen LO 11 
			 Bangor LO 16 
			 Beverley LO 16 
			 Birmingham LO 64 
			 Boreham Wood LO 44 
			 Bournemouth LO and CREC 69 
			 Brighton LO 25 
			 Bristol LO 31 
			 Cardiff LO 41 
			 Carlisle LO 12 
			 Chelmsford LO 60 
			 Chester LO 25 
			 Dundee LO 12 
			 Edinburgh LO 26 
			 Exeter LO 48 
			 Glasgow LO and CREC 78 
			 Inverness LO 7 
			 Ipswich LO 22 
			 Leeds LO 61 
			 Lincoln LO 19 
			 Maidstone LO 38 
			 Manchester LO 56 
			 Newcastle LO 52 
			 Northampton LO and CREC 63 
			 Norwich LO 15 
			 Nottingham LO 54 
			 Oxford LO 14 
			 Peterborough LO 26 
			 Portsmouth LO 26 
			 Preston LO 68 
			 Reading LO 26 
			 Sheffield LO 29 
			 Shrewsbury LO 21 
			 Sidcup LO 93 
			 Stockton LO 23 
			 Truro LO 15 
			 Wimbledon LO 46 
			 Worcester LO 32 
			 Total 1,384

First Group: National Express

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what meetings he has held with First Group regarding its proposed takeover of National Express; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: holding answer 2 June 2009
	 There have been no meetings between Department for Transport Ministers and First Group regarding a proposed takeover of National Express, however, First Group indicated to the Secretary of State that they had made preliminary approach to National Express with a view to entering into discussion about a possible merger.

M18

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans the Highways Agency has to resurface the M18 south of junction 6.

Chris Mole: There are currently no plans to resurface the M18 south of junction 6. The road surface of the M18 at the specified location is in good condition.

Motorways: Subsidence

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when the slow lanes of the M1 and the M18 were last inspected for subsidence in the road surface caused by heavy goods vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: Lane 1 of the M1 northbound and southbound carriageways in South Yorkshire and the Humber region were surveyed on the following dates:
	M1 between junction 30-35a northbound on 18 November 2008;
	M1 between junction 35a-42 northbound on 19 November 2008;
	M1 between junctions 30-42 southbound on 20 November 2008.
	Lane 1 of the whole length of the M18 northbound and southbound carriageways were last surveyed on 25 November 2008.

Railways: Electrification

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what funding his Department is providing to enable the completion of Guide to Rail Investment Projects 3 work in respect of the proposals to electrify the Gospel Oak to Barking line; and when he expects this stage of the process to be completed.

Chris Mole: holding answer 3 July 2009
	No funding is being provided by the Department for Transport towards the development of any Guide to Railway Investment Projects Stage 3 work for the Gospel Oak to Barking line electrification. The funding of the development work and the date for its completion are both matters for Transport for London.

Railways: Electrification

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what agreement has been reached between his Department and Transport for London in respect of the allocation of costs for the electrification of the Gospel Oak to Barking line.

Chris Mole: holding answer 3 July 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 769W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn).

Railways: Franchises

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what maximum temperature in train carriages his Department specified in franchise agreements.

Chris Mole: There is no such requirement in any franchise agreement.

Road Traffic Offences: Electric Vehicles

Lembit �pik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  whether his Department intends to prosecute users of personal transporters on public highways; and if he will make a statement; [R]
	(2)  whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of personal transporters which are in use on public highways at least once a week; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Prosecution is a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
	The Department for Transport has made no estimate of the number of personal transporters which are in use on public highways.

Road Traffic: Census

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information his Department holds on  (a) the cost of the recent Milton Keynes council traffic census and  (b) the number of motorists questioned over the period of the census.

Sadiq Khan: The road traffic counts carried out by the Department for Transport for the National Road Traffic Estimates simply count the number of vehicles passing a defined point. They do not involve questioning motorists or interfering with the traffic flow.
	The cost of the individual surveys cannot be provided as the information is commercially confidential.

Roads: Accidents

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the West Midlands Casualty Reduction Scheme in reducing numbers of road traffic accidents in that region.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has not made a specific, recent assessment of the effectiveness of the West Midlands safety enforcement camera partnership (also known as the West Midlands Casualty Reduction Scheme), which covers the West Midlands metropolitan area.
	In 2008 the West Midlands metropolitan area authorities reviewed their overall progress delivering their second local transport plan, including in respect of road safety. The Government office for the West Midlands region, in conjunction with the Department for Transport, commented on this review in a letter dated 9 January 2009. This can be viewed at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/ltp2/westmidlands/westmidlandsjoint.pdf

Roads: Accidents

Joan Ryan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road fatalities there have been in each parliamentary constituency in Greater London in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: The numbers of fatalities in each parliamentary constituency in Greater London for each year from 2004 to 2008 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of fatalities 
			  Parliamentary constituency( 1)  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Barking 4 5 4 3 4 
			 Battersea 3 4 3 0 4 
			 Beckenham 3 2 3 2 6 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow 3 5 1 1 5 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford 2 2 1 4 0 
			 Brent East 1 0 4 3 3 
			 Brent North 3 1 3 1 0 
			 Brent South 2 5 4 7 4 
			 Brentford and Isleworth 9 10 8 5 3 
			 Bromley and Chislehurst 3 4 6 3 5 
			 Camberwell and Peckham 2 1 3 3 1 
			 Carshalton and Wallington 3 2 2 1 2 
			 Chingford and Woodford Green 2 3 1 2 4 
			 Chipping Barnet 4 3 1 5 3 
			 Cities of London and Westminster 10 9 10 7 18 
			 Croydon Central 6 5 2 4 2 
			 Croydon North 5 1 1 4 0 
			 Croydon South 1 1 4 1 2 
			 Dagenham 3 1 1 4 4 
			 Dulwich and West Norwood 2 4 5 2 2 
			 Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 4 5 7 6 6 
			 Ealing North 2 5 2 2 8 
			 Ealing, Southall 2 2 4 7 2 
			 East Ham 2 0 1 4 0 
			 Edmonton 2 4 7 5 1 
			 Eltham 4 3 7 4 4 
			 Enfield North 3 3 10 2 4 
			 Enfield, Southgate 3 6 4 5 1 
			 Erith and Thamesmead 1 1 2 1 2 
			 Feltham and Heston 5 4 5 4 0 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 4 4 5 6 3 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 4 4 4 3 6 
			 Hackney North and Stoke Newington 6 3 5 0 2 
			 Hackney South and Shoreditch 2 1 2 2 4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5 6 3 4 1 
			 Hampstead and Highgate 2 1 3 2 0 
			 Harrow East 2 3 1 1 1 
			 Harrow West 2 1 2 1 0 
			 Hayes and Harlington 3 2 4 0 5 
			 Hendon 4 4 10 3 11 
			 Hoi born and St. Pancras 2 2 5 5 4 
			 Hornchurch 7 3 1 5 0 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 1 3 2 2 1 
			 Ilford North 6 4 2 4 2 
			 Ilford South 4 2 3 4 1 
			 Islington North 1 3 1 5 1 
			 Islington South and Finsbury 1 1 1 1 3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4 9 3 8 4 
			 Kingston and Surbiton 4 3 3 5 2 
			 Lewisham, Deptford 4 1 0 1 1 
			 Lewisham East 3 3 1 3 0 
			 Lewisham West 0 2 1 2 2 
			 Leyton and Wanstead 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Mitcham and Morden 1 0 0 3 1 
			 North Southwark and Bermondsey 5 3 2 0 7 
			 Old Bexley and Sidcup 0 4 3 2 0 
			 Orpington 4 3 5 2 3 
			 Poplar and Canning Town 3 4 5 5 3 
			 Putney 3 1 2 0 0 
			 Regent's Park and North Kensington 3 6 4 0 4 
			 Richmond Park 2 0 4 1 0 
			 Romford 1 4 0 3 1 
			 Ruislip-Northwood 5 3 0 5 5 
			 Streatham 1 4 1 5 7 
			 Sutton and Cheam 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Tooting 3 0 2 2 2 
			 Tottenham 2 4 6 2 2 
			 Twickenham 3 2 2 1 1 
			 Upminster 2 0 0 4 3 
			 Uxbridge 4 3 2 4 4 
			 Vauxhall 1 2 5 5 3 
			 Walthamstow 0 3 0 2 1 
			 West Ham 2 1 2 4 0 
			 Wimbledon 1 1 5 2 3 
			   
			 All constituencies in Greater London 216 214 228 222 205 
			 (1) Based on 2004 parliamentary boundaries

Speed Limits

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether an impact assessment has been prepared in relation to his Department's plans to encourage local authorities to set lower speed limits.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport's consultation on a new road safety strategy, A Safer Way, was published on 21 April 2009. This included proposals to reduce road casualties on residential streets and on the riskiest rural roads, by encouraging highway authorities to reduce speed limits on such roads. An impact assessment was included in the consultation document, which can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/roadsafetyconsultation/

Speed Limits: Cameras

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance notes have been issued to local highways authorities on safety camera partnerships since May 1997; and which of those notes remain in effect.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport (DfT) issued the Handbook of Rules and Guidance for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales in 2001 which was revised regularly until the final version was published in January 2006. This was superseded by DfT Circular 01/2007, Guidance on the Deployment of Speed and Red-Light Cameras issued on 31 January 2007. The guidance was placed in the Library of the House and is also available on the Department's website.

Transport: Finance

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding has been allocated to each local transport authority in the East of England for capital investment in each of the last 10 years.

Sadiq Khan: Allocations provided to the East of England in each of the last 10 years are shown in the tables:
	
		
			  Integrated transport 
			   million 
			  East region  2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01  1999-2000( 1) 
			 Bedfordshire 3.784 3.160 3.572 3.350 3.200 3.000 3.100 3.900 2.400  
			 Cambridgeshire 8.474 8.560 8.662 8.200 11.814 9.300 8.050 8.100 4.500  
			 Essex 12.932 12.518 13.327 13.800 14.250 13.966 13.000 13.000 5.000  
			 Hertfordshire 11.512 11.626 11.422 12.600 12.350 14.170 12.950 12.500 5.000  
			 Luton 2.408 3.158 2.516 3.100 3.300 4.310 4.000 4.100 1.800  
			 Norfolk 11.040 11.209 11.073 9.700 13.213 11.119 10.5 50 10.000 4.000  
			 Peterborough 2.154 2.049 1.867 1.900 2.187 2.196 2.000 2.000 0.900  
			 Southend-on-Sea 2.428 2.550 2.562 2.800 2.520 3.373 3.000 3.000 1.650  
			 Suffolk 6.838 6.816 7.578 7.350 7.745 8.250 8.150 7.500 4.000  
			 Thurrock 2.492 2.345 2.391 2.150 2.060 2.450 2.100 1.400 0.650  
			 (1) The Integrated Transport figure is included in the table below for this year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Highways maintenance 
			   million 
			  East region  2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01  1999-2000( 1) 
			 Bedfordshire 5.496 4.591 6.001 6.001 4.801 4.364 3.491 3.247 1.617 4.602 
			 Cambridgeshire 11.654 11.752 12.782 12.782 10.226 8.791 7.437 6.967 2.817 7.806 
			 Essex 18.006 22.428 16.682 18.088 12.626 12.620 15.001 13.925 5.170 8.942 
			 Hertfordshire 11.151 11.263 9.175 8.596 9.262 7.939 10.586 10.083 4.467 6.858 
			 Luton 1.012 0.891 0.948 0.889 1.185 1.020 0.862 0.819 0.587 4.344 
			 Norfolk 19.130 21.273 19.401 19.635 19.836 18.262 18.973 19.247 5.203 7.752 
			 Peterborough 2.361 5.625 2.209 4.579 4.227 1.834 1.843 1.765 1.082 2.562 
			 Southend-on-Sea 1.720 1.915 1.707 1.622 3.444 1.307 1.742 1.608 0.696 1.945 
			 Suffolk 14.707 14.929 16.032 15.274 14.485 12.316 11.808 13.467 4.472 5.554 
			 Thurrock 1.038 0.818 2.919 4.483 3.855 1.148 1.550 1.146 0.597 1.760 
			 (1) Since 2000 the allocations comprise integrated transport block grant and highways maintenance. Prior to 2000 the allocations are in the form of gross approved spending.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2009,  Official Report, column 630W, on Afghanistan: detainees, when the Governor of Bermuda was first informed that the four Muslim Uighur refugees had been detainees in Guantnamo Bay

David Miliband: The Governor was first informed by the Government of Bermuda that the four Muslim Uighurs transferred to Bermuda were former detainees in Guantanamo Bay at 0820 (local time) 11 June 2009, following their arrival in Bermuda two hours earlier.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Burma on the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 3 July 2009
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has expressed UK's deep concern over the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, commenting that it shows the Burmese regime is intent on finding any pretext to extend her unlawful detention. He released a statement on the morning of her arrest on 14 May 2009 condemning the actions of the regime. On receiving news of her arrest, our embassy in Rangoon also immediately registered its concern with the Burmese authorities. Our ambassador contacted them again on 18 May 2009 and the following days to seek access to her trial.
	Former Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Bill Rammell raised the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, the detention of over 2,100 political prisoners and the implications for a genuine transition to democracy in Burma with EU and Asian partners at the EU-Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Asia-Europe Meeting in the region at the end of May. He spoke directly to Burmese Ministers to express the UK's outrage at their actions.
	Most recently, the Prime Minister issued a statement on Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday, 19 June 2009, reiterating his call for her release. Our embassy in Rangoon transmitted a message from the Government to the Burmese Ministry of Foreign Affairs early on 1 July 2009 expressing our continued concern about Aung San Suu Kyi's trial and urging the regime to co-operate with the UN General Secretary upon his visit.

Bermuda: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 629-30W, on Afghanistan: detainees, what the role of the  (a) government and  (b) Governor of Bermuda is in respect of Bermudese foreign affairs; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Governor has responsibility for the conduct of any business of the Bermuda Government with respect to the external affairs of Bermuda in accordance with section 62 of the Bermuda Constitution. The Government of Bermuda have been delegated, subject to certain conditions, authority under a 1968 General Entrustment to negotiate and conclude agreements in certain specified areas with other countries. Other entrustments have also been issued at various times authorising specific negotiations.

Chernobyl: Children

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what progress has been made in discussions with his Belarusian counterpart on arrangements for visits to the UK by children who grew up near Chernobyl;
	(2)  for what reasons the Government has not concluded a bilateral agreement with Belarus on safeguarding the status of children connected with Chernobyl.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 4 June 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	On 22 May, the United Kingdom entered into a bilateral agreement with the Belarusian Government to secure the resumption of organised visits by Chernobyl-affected Belarusian children to the United Kingdom. Parliament was notified of this agreement by written ministerial statement, laid on 11 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 48-49WS, available at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090611/wmstext/90611m0001.htm #09061143000079

Departmental Databases

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information databases his Department  (a) maintains and  (b) uses which do not contain personal information.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its network of diplomatic posts overseas use a large number of databases, of varying size and complexity. The most significant of these are managed centrally.
	These databases support a wide range of activities across the organisation, from the processing of passport applications and recording consular assistance to British citizens overseas, to managing the FCO's financial and personnel administration across the whole network of FCO departments and posts overseas. Each post normally also holds local business and official contacts databases.
	Many of the FCO databases may contain personal information about our staff and members of the public who have sought our assistance, but all personal information held on FCO databases is strictly protected in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which  (a) sections of his Department and  (b) non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have requested money saved from efficiency savings to be used for increased pay in their 2009 pay offers to staff.

Chris Bryant: Efficiency savings are not used for increased pay in the 2009 pay offer to staff. Efficiency savings are either redirected back into frontline services or to enable the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to live within its comprehensive spending review settlement.

Diplomatic Missions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 June 2009,  Official Report, column 25WS, on diplomatic missions, what discretion local authorities have to withdraw public services from diplomatic missions which do not pay the national non-domestic rates billed to them.

Chris Bryant: National non diplomatic rates (NNDR) for diplomatic premises is paid in full to local authorities by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA then bills individual missions for the portion which covers services from which missions directly benefit. This is currently calculated as 6 per cent. of the total bill.
	As diplomatic missions do not pay NNDR direct to local authorities, it would not be appropriate for local authorities to withdraw services from those diplomatic missions which have NNDR debts.

Diplomatic Missions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 June 2009,  Official Report, column 25WS, on diplomatic missions, on what date the Zimbabwe mission last paid a bill for national non-domestic rates; and how many months of non-domestic rates arrears the sum given in the statement represents.

Chris Bryant: The Valuation Office Agency's records indicate that the Zimbabwean mission's debt has been accumulating since 2000-01. Since that time they have only paid one year's beneficial portion of national non-domestic rates, for the year 2006-07. The sum given in the written ministerial statement represents eight years' accumulated debt.

Interpal

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has had discussions with the Quartet representative on the designation by the US administration of the charity Interpal as a terrorist organisation.

Ivan Lewis: We have not discussed Interpal with the quartet representative.
	Our officials are in discussion with their US counterparts about how to facilitate legitimate charitable work while protecting against any risk of funds being misused by terrorists. These discussions have included reference to the Interpal's status in the US as a designated organisation.

Israel: Internally Displaced Persons

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the eviction of families from the Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem; what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are extremely concerned by the continued eviction notices served on Palestinian families in East Jerusalem and have pressed the Israeli Government to suspend these eviction notices immediately. We have supported an EU presidency statement expressing the EU's deep concern about the issue of eviction notices to the al-Rawi and Hanoun families in East Jerusalem and calling for the al-Kurd family to be allowed to return to their home.
	Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made the UK's concerns clear in his statement to the UN Security Council on 11 May 2009 and it was also discussed during the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting on 15 June 2009. The UK will continue to raise this with Israeli officials both in public and in private.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of his Department are based in 10 Downing Street as foreign policy advisers to the Prime Minister.

Chris Bryant: holding answer 3 July 2009
	There are currently three members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office based in 10 Downing street working as foreign policy advisers to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Peru: Rain Forests

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Peru on the protection of rainforest in that country.

Chris Bryant: We have frequent discussions with the Peruvian Government as part of our close and friendly bilateral relationship. This includes with Peru's Environment Minister on his commitment made at Poznan in December 2008 to reduce Peru's deforestation to zero by 2019. We have offered our support to the Peruvian Government as they seek to strengthen Peru's legal framework for protecting the Amazon.

Terrorism: Compensation

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government plans to introduce a compensation scheme for British victims of terrorism overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply 
	as Minister for Humanitarian Assistance.
	An inter-departmental working group is putting together detailed proposals on financial support for victims of terrorist attacks overseas. The group will report to Ministers shortly.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 394-97W, on Records of detention (review conclusions), what the names of each of the two individuals transferred from Iraq to Afghanistan in 2004 are; at what US detention facilities they  (a) have been and  (b) are being held; what steps the Government has taken to verify US assurances on the treatment of the two individuals; whether the UK has the power to demand (i) access to and (ii) the return of the two individuals; on what date officials were first made aware of (A) the intention to transfer the two individuals and (B) the transfer itself; what international law applies to people held on behalf of other coalition forces; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 30 June 2009
	It is not the practice of this Department to release personal information, such as the names of these two individuals. The individuals were initially held at a US detention facility in Baghdad before they were transferred to US detention facilities at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. As my predecessor made clear in his statement, when this information came to light officials immediately engaged with their US counterparts and were assured that the individuals are held in a humane, safe and secure environment that meets international standards that are consistent with applicable cultural and religious norms. I am satisfied that these assurances are reliable; although there is no formal legal power for the UK to demand access to the individuals, close relationships with the US satisfy me that this is not required. After 31 December 2008 the UK has no power of detention in Iraq so demanding the return of these two individuals would not be practical nor possible.
	The review examined the available historical records, which suggest that British officials became aware of an intention to transfer in March 2004, although this was some days after the initial capture had occurred. British officials had learned by mid-June 2004 that the individuals had been transferred to Afghanistan.
	What particular international law provisions apply will depend on the operational theatre and the circumstances; I am not in a position to make general statements on what legal provisions may apply as each operational theatre is different.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the proportion of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan triggered by  (a) weight,  (b) command wire and  (c) remote detonation by electronic signal in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many locally employed translators are working for the armed forces in each region of Afghanistan.

Kevan Jones: The armed forces employ nine locally employed translators in Afghanistan. Of these six are in Kabul and three in Helmand Province.
	The armed forces also employ 397 locally employed interpreters. Of these six are based in Kandahar, 32 in Kabul and 359 in Helmand Province.

Air Force: Training

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training flights in each type of aircraft have been undertaken by RAF pilots in each training area in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Available information related to low flying training is published annually in the report, The Pattern of Military Low Flying across the United Kingdom. The report relating to the training year 2008-09 will be published, and placed in the Library of the House, before the summer recess.

Armed Forces: Afghanistan

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maximum number is of members of the armed forces who may be deployed to serve in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The endorsed force level for UK military operations in Afghanistan is 8,300.
	The Prime Minister announced on 29 April 2009, Official Report, column 869, the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan to provide extra security during the Afghan election period. This has temporarily increased troop numbers in Afghanistan to 9,000.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have met Scottish Executive Health Ministers to discuss the care of soldiers and veterans in each year since 1999;
	(2)  on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have met Scottish Executive Health Ministers to discuss the sharing of best practice between the Defence Medical Services and NHS Scotland in the last two years; and what other mechanisms are in place to ensure that best practice between those services is shared.

Bob Ainsworth: Details of topics discussed during meetings between Ministers are not held centrally. Both my predecessor and the Under-Secretary of State have met with Shona Robison, on 14 May 2009 and 23 April 2009 respectively to discuss a variety of issues.
	The Scottish Executive is represented at official level on the MOD/UK Health Departments Partnership Board, which meets three times a year and whose remit includes exploring ways of sharing best practice between the Defence Medical Services (DMS) and the NHS in England and the devolved regions, including Scotland. At a working level, some individual members of the DMS also work in Scottish NHS medical facilities, particularly in Edinburgh, enabling clinical best practice to be shared on a day-to-day basis.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of veterans resident in  (a) Scotland,  (b) England,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland with a health condition related to their service.

Kevan Jones: As at 31 March 2009, a total of 256,520 individuals in the United Kingdom were in receipt of a pension awarded under the War Pension Scheme (WPS) for a health condition related to their service. In addition, 1,145 veterans were in receipt of a compensation award under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) for a health condition related to their service and 80 individuals were in receipt under both schemes. The following table shows a breakdown by country and the scheme under which they have been awarded.
	
		
			  Country  Number 
			  Individuals awarded under WPS( 1,2,3)  
			 Total 256,520 
			 England 205,980 
			 Scotland 31,700 
			 Wales 17,315 
			 Northern Ireland 1,085 
			 Great Britain(2) 440 
			   
			  Veterans awarded under AFCS( 1,4)  
			 Total 1,145 
			 England 1,000 
			 Scotland 60 
			 Wales 55 
			 Northern Ireland 30 
			   
			  Individuals awarded under both schemes( 1,3,4)  
			 Total 80 
			 England 70 
			 Scotland  
			 Wales  
			 Northern Ireland 0 
			 '' Represents a value of fewer than 5. (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. Due to rounding, the total does not equal the sum of the parts. (2) The 'Great Britain' category refers to individuals that have been identified as residing within Great Britain, but due to invalid address data, cannot be allocated to a particular country. (3) Under the WPS, awards have only been included from individuals who have left the armed forces. Some individuals may have re-joined the armed forces since their awarded claim and therefore would not be classed as veterans, but have been included in the figures provided. (4) Under the AFCS, awards have been included for those who claimed post-service and those who claimed while in service and subsequently left the armed forces.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made in the provision of accommodation for families of military patients being treated at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine's clinical facilities at Selly Oak; and on what date he expects such accommodation to become available.

Kevan Jones: Current accommodation, most of which has been in place for some time, includes the following:
	Six rooms in one wing of Selly Oak hospital (five accommodation rooms plus a quiet room) are allocated for relatives of military personnel listed as very seriously ill or seriously ill. Depending on availability, families of non-listed patients may also stay in these rooms.
	Further accommodation for families available on the Selly Oak site itself includes three flats, offering in total three single, three double and three twin-bed rooms.
	The League of Friends has generously provided a further flat, offering two twin bed and one double room.
	The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help has also generously provided a home from home (Norton House) close to Selly Oak hospital, offering seven bedrooms for the use of families of military patients. It was opened earlier this year.
	SSAFA has also funded improvements to accommodation available on the Selly Oak site.
	In our planning for the military ward to be established at the new Queen Elizabeth hospital (which will replace Selly Oak) from 2010, we are ensuring that family accommodation will continue to be provided on a similar scale.

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) longest and  (b) average period of time taken to make repairs to a forces accommodation property after a call-out was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevan Jones: The requested information is not held centrally and will take a little time to collate and verify. I will write to the hon. Member.
	 Substantive answer from  Kevan Jones to Liam Fox:
	In my answer of 13 May 2009 (Official Report, column 763W) I undertook to write to you with details of the longest and average time taken to make repairs to forces accommodation properties.
	The maintenance and repair of Service accommodation worldwide is carried out under a number of different arrangements. In the UK, repairs to the majority of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties are carried out under the Housing Prime Contract (HPC), in England and Wales, the Regional Prime Contract (RPC) in Scotland and other arrangements in Northern Ireland. The longest and average time to carry out repairs in each period for which figures are available are provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Repairs (in days) 
			 Emergency  Urgent  Routine 
			 England and Wales HPC April 2008 to March 2009 Longest 18 36 66 
			   Average 0.5 5.2 11.2 
			 Scotland RPC October 2003 to May 2009 Longest 1 9.1 22.9 
			   Average 0.5 5.2 20.4 
			   
			 Northern Ireland 2004 to May 2009 Longest 14 29 44 
			   Average 0.8 3.9 11 
		
	
	From the way the data is held, it is not possible to identify the specific reasons why the longest repairs took the time they did to complete. In general, repairs can take longer based on a number of factors, including the complexity of the work, whether accommodation is occupied or the availability of parts and materials that are required to finalise repairs. In many cases the fault is temporarily repaired at the first visit, but additional work is required to complete it.
	Like for like figures are not available for Single Living Accommodation or overseas SFA.

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the new armed forces accommodation announced in Budget 2009 to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: The Budget 2009 announced that 50 million of expenditure is to be brought forward from 2010-11 and 2011-12 to be spent on upgrading, modernising and improving existing service accommodation. This is in addition to expenditure already provisioned for this year.
	The advance of expenditure will be used to assist around 19 improvement projects and locations across Great Britain, some already in progress. It is not possible to say when the work will be completed at this stage. This expenditure is part of the 3 billion budget which the Government plan to spend on improving service accommodation over the next 10 years.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of each grading committee report on armed forces accommodation.

Kevan Jones: The MOD does not produce a grading committee report on armed forces accommodation. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the Armed Forces Pay Review Board, who determine pay, allowances and accommodation charges, publish an annual report which is routinely placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are receiving pensions under the provisions of  (a) the Gurkha Pension Scheme,  (b) the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 and  (c) the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: At 31 March 2009 the number of members and dependants receiving pensions under the Gurkha Pension Scheme was 25,139, the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 was 1,062 and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 was 368,547.

Armed Forces: Schools

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits were made by schools presentation teams in each service to  (a) state and  (b) private schools in each year since 2005.

Kevan Jones: The information requested on service schools presentation teams is provided in the following tables:
	
		
			  Royal Navy 
			   Total  State  Private 
			 2005-06 620 n/a n/a 
			 2006-07 643 n/a n/a 
			 2007-08 478 408 70 
			 2008-09 511 441 70 
			  Note:  The table does not include data for Wales and the West of England because this information could be provided within the timescale only at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			  Army 
			   Total  State  Private 
			 2005-06 307 288 19 
			 2006-07 336 322 14 
			 2007-08 292 270 22 
			 2008-09 190 177 13 
		
	
	
		
			  RAF 
			   Total( 1) 
			 2005-06 101 
			 2006-07 96 
			 2007-08 99 
			 2008-09 (2)293 
			 (1) The RAF do not record whether the school they visit is state or private. (2) The Inspectorate of Recruiting Youth Outreach Teams (YOT) was formed in August 2008, which enabled an increase in the number visits from that date.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of army recruits passed through phase  (a) 1 and  (b) 2 training without taking the military swim test in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: There is no requirement for entrants to the British Army to be able to swim but swimming training is compulsory for all regular army personnel. All British Army recruits are required to take the military swimming test during phase 1 or phase 2 training.
	During financial year 2008-09, approximately 2,500 personnel, or 20 per cent. of those completing phase 2 training and entering the Field Army, did not pass the military swimming test.
	Weak and non-swimmers have their personnel records annotated accordingly to identify when further swimming training is appropriate, and to ensure proper risk assessments can made during further training.

Christmas Island

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the merits of  (a) commissioning a commemorative Christmas Island medal and  (b) awarding the general service medal to those who served at Christmas Island; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: Since the end of World War II, the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (known as the HD Committee) has maintained a policy that it will not consider the belated institution of awards and medals for service given many years earlier. The reason for this policy is that the present HD Committee cannot put itself in the place of the Committee which made the original decision and which would have been able to take account of the views of the Government and of other interested parties at the time of the decision. The HD Committee has made it clear on a number of occasions in response to requests for the institution of belated awards, that it will not reconsider this policy.
	It has never been the Government's policy to consider service of a particular specialist nature such as the British nuclear test programme as the sole justification for the institution of a medal. It would be divisive to offer service personnel a medal simply for being involved in this project, when those who have undertaken other specialist duties would be excluded from receiving any award. This does not imply that their contribution to the defence of the country has not been appreciated.

Defence: Finance

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much and what proportion of the defence budget was spent in Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 1068-69W.

Department: Water

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of water consumption on his Department's office estate in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07, (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Kevan Jones: It will take more time to collate and verify the information required to answer the question. I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Substantive answer from  Kevan Jones to James Paice:
	In my answer of 22 June 2009 (Official Report, column 623-624W) I undertook to write to you with the requested details of the Department's office water consumption.
	Water consumption data for the office estate is not separately identifiable from that for the rest of the Defence estate.
	For the estate in Great Britain (GB), covered by Project Aquatrine, the total consumption and consumption per GB full-time equivalent (FTE) member of staff in 2005-06 and 2006-07 was estimated to be as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total consumption (m3)  Consumption per FTE member of staff (m3) 
			 2005-06 23,763,852 86 
			 2006-07 23,340,314 84 
		
	
	This information is the best that can be provided without disproportionate cost. Like for like data is not available for Northern Ireland or the overseas estate.
	Consumption per FTE member of staff has been estimated using the personnel numbers published in the UK Defence Statistics 2007, available to view on the Defence Analytical Services and Advice website found at the following link:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS2007/c2/table203.html

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have been (i) disciplined and (ii) dismissed for (A) breaches of data protection requirements and (B) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: In the 12 months to 31 May 2009, eight individuals (including four contractor's staff acting on MOD's behalf) have been disciplined for breaches of data protection requirements. A number of other cases remain subject to investigation. Figures for inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework and the Data Handling Report produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	MOD has issued internal guidance to remind staff that if they are found to have been responsible for a serious breach of data security procedures, dependent upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the original target date for the completion of the second increment of the Defence Information Infrastructure programme was; when the original target date was changed; and what his latest estimate is for the completion of the second increment of the programme.

Quentin Davies: When the contract for the DII Programme was amended in December 2006 to include Increment 2A, the target date for completion of Increment 2A was end June 2009. This was further amended in October 2008 to December 2009 and the programme remains on track to meet this target date.

Diabetes

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will review the prohibition on insulin-treated diabetics joining the armed forces;
	(2)  how many people have been  (a) diagnosed with diabetes while serving in the armed forces and  (b) discharged from the armed forces as a result of being diagnosed with diabetes in each year since 2004;
	(3)  how many people had an application to join the armed forces turned down because they had diabetes in each year since 2004;
	(4)  how many people at each rank in the Army have insulin-treated diabetes.

Kevan Jones: It is our policy that armed forces personnel should be recruited to be fully fit for deployment worldwide on operations. For this reason, the services do not recruit or commission personnel with existing medical conditions which require regular access to medication, such as diabetes. We currently have no plans to review this policy.
	This policy is intended to protect sufferers of diabetes from military circumstances which may adversely impact upon their condition and to ensure the effectiveness of the armed forces. For example, a diabetic individual deployed on operations may experience difficulties in monitoring blood or urinary glucose levels; accessing medication; taking regular meals; maintaining a regular sleep pattern; accessing shared-care diabetic clinics; and accessing specialist services such as ophthalmology or chiropody. Such circumstances would adversely impact upon their diabetic control, thus increasing their risk of microand macro-vascular complications. Furthermore, an uncontrolled diabetic may constitute a risk not only to themselves, but also to others in a military or operational context.
	Potential recruits are given details during the recruitment process of those medical conditions that make an individual unsuitable for entry into the services, of which diabetes is one. No centralised record is kept of the specific reasons why individuals are turned down on recruitment.
	The single services manage individuals who develop diabetes during their service careers according to their specific operational requirements and each case will be considered on an individual basis. The total number and rank of individuals who were diagnosed with diabetes while serving in the armed forces and are currently still serving is not held centrally, and could be obtained only by examining the medical records of all personnel, which would incur disproportionate cost. While we will make every effort to retain in-service individuals who subsequently develop diabetes (provided that there are worthwhile military roles for them to fulfil), this will normally mean that they will have to be re-graded and will not be able to deploy on operations. This also applies to other disabilities which might arise while an individual is in service but the forces do not recruit individuals where they would only be able to serve from the outset in a medically restricted capacity.
	The following table presents the numbers of service personnel medically discharged each year between 2004 and 2008 with diabetes as the principal cause leading to discharge. Figures have been compiled using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems version 10 (ICD 10). Small totals of individuals (fewer than 5) are not shown, in line with Office for National Statistics Guidelines, in order to protect individual identities. Such numbers are represented as *.
	
		
			   Year of medical discharge 
			   All  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Navy(1) 27 7 * 6 7 * 
			 Army 17 6 * 5 * * 
			 RAF 8 * * * * * 
			 (1) Includes Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

European Fighter Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many squadrons of the Tranche 3 Eurofighter are due to be deployed in the UK armed forces.

Bill Rammell: On current plans, once the RAF's Typhoon fleet is at full strength it will consist of seven squadrons; five front line squadrons supported by an Operational Evaluation Unit and an Operational Conversion Unit. The distribution of Tranche 3 aircraft across these squadrons has yet to be decided.

European Fighter Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any reductions in the UK's planned expenditure on the Tranche 3 Eurofighter procurement have taken place as a result of agreements to sell the aircraft to other countries.

Quentin Davies: Typhoon Tranche 3 is currently the subject of negotiations with our partner nations and industry.

Foxes

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of controlling foxes on his Department's land has been in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: Control of foxes on the defence estate is carried out as part of overall vermin control measures and is not recorded separately. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Gifts and Endowments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military bases in Northern Ireland formerly owned by his Department have been gifted to the Northern Ireland Executive in each year since 1998; what estimate he has made of the monetary value of such properties; and what plans there are for further such gifts.

Kevan Jones: In 2003 four military sites were transferred to the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) free of charge at Malone, Magherafelt, Long Kesh (The Maze) and Ebrington, valued at 4.8 million, 1.3 million, 0.3 million and 13 million respectively. Since then the NIE has bought other sites from the Ministry of Defence, paying market value. The MOD and Northern Ireland Executive are working together on plans for a number of MOD sites scheduled for disposal.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK troops required medical evacuation as a result of injuries caused by improvised explosive devices in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009 to date.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence holds statistics on the number of casualties suffered by UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, including on the number of casualties evacuated by air from Iraq and Afghanistan on medical grounds. These are published on the Ministry of Defence website, two weeks in arrears, at the following addresses:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/DoctrineOperationsand DiplomacyPublications/OperationsInIraq/OpTelicCasualtyAndFatalityTables.htm
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/DoctrineOperationsand DiplomacyPublications/OperationsInAfghanistan/OpHerrickCasualtyAndFatalityTables.htm
	I am withholding information regarding the number of personnel requiring medical evacuation as a result of injuries caused by improvised explosive devices, as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Military Aircraft: Manufacturing Industries

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department provides to UK  (a) financial and  (b) other manufacturers bidding for fighter jet contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: Government support to the export efforts of the UK defence industry, including the aerospace sector, is led by UKTI. This Department works closely to support their Defence and Security Organisation on these matters, for example, where Defence Ministers raise such issues with their counterparts or through the provision of equipment for demonstration.

Military Bases

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what main amenities are available for  (a) service personnel and  (b) their families on each military base in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas.

Kevan Jones: The majority of military bases in the UK and overseas provide service personnel and their families with amenities such as banks, post offices, medical centres, welfare offices and facilities including play areas, sports facilities, nurseries, information and support centres and retail outlets.
	More detailed information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Bases

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many wardens are employed on each military base; and how many  (a) service personnel and  (b) members of families of service personnel are resident on each base.

Kevan Jones: Estate wardens are no longer employed on the defence estate. The other information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pleural Plaques

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department made of its potential liabilities arising from compensation claims from those with pleural plaques in advance of the House of Lords judgment on pleural plaques compensation of October 2007.

Kevan Jones: The Department's potential liabilities arising from compensation claims from those diagnosed with pleural plaques in advance of the House of Lords judgment in October 2007 was approximately 4.3 million per annum, excluding legal costs, up to 2015, at which time the number of reported cases are expected to peak and then tail off by 2030. Total liabilities have been estimated to be approximately 50 million excluding legal costs.

White Phosphorus

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether civilians and non-combatants have been injured during operations by British military personnel using white phosphorus in  (a) Iraq,  (b) Afghanistan and  (c) elsewhere in the last 10 years; what his policy is on the use of white phosphorus munitions by British forces; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: White phosphorus munitions are only used by UK forces to protect troops on operations by producing a smoke screen to provide cover in accordance with the Third Protocol of the UN Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the use of Certain Conventional Weapons, ratified by the UK in 1995, when it became illegal to use white phosphorus as a primary incendiary weapon under UK law. Training of UK forces in the use of white phosphorus emphasises that it should only be used for its intended purpose; as an obscurant and not as an anti-personnel weapon.
	The Government do not collate figures for civilian casualties in Afghanistan, Iraq or on other operations. Every effort is made to avoid civilian casualties in all theatres, and any that are the result of action by UK armed forces are always a matter of profound regret.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Electronic Communications

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with internet service providers on maintaining records of electronic communications; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Home Office has regular discussions with a wide range of communications service providers. These discussions include the implementation of the EU Data Retention Directive, and potential future policies set out in the recent consultation document, Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment.

Metropolitan Police: Human Trafficking Unit

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer by the Prime Minister of 20 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1504, what progress his Department has made towards increasing the budget for the Metropolitan police's human trafficking unit.

Alan Campbell: Additional funding of 435,000 already has been given to the Metropolitan Police to support the costs of their human trafficking team for the current financial year.

Stop and Search

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department issues to police forces on the use of stop and search techniques in detecting crime.

David Hanson: Guidance entitled Practice Advice on Stop and Search was produced in 2006 by the Central Police Training and Development Authority for the Association of Chief Police Officers.
	The practice advice helps officers to carry out their duties in a practical manner and provide a consistent level of service to the public.

Prostitution

Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons his Department has proposed the creation of a new offence of paying for the sexual services of a prostitute controlled for gain.

Alan Campbell: The new offence will shift the focus of enforcement activity away from those who are working as prostitutes and on to those who have sex with prostitutes who are forced or coerced.

National DNA Database

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many serious crime cases ending in conviction DNA evidence retained on the national DNA database was presented in court in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: Data are available on the number of detections with DNA, but not the number of convictions. In 2007-08, 83 serious violent crimes and 184 rapes were detected in which a DNA match was available. It is not possible to say whether the DNA match was the key factor in solving the crime.

Violence against Women and Girls

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department has made in its consultation on Together We Can End The Violence Against Women And Girls; and when he expects the resultant strategy to be published.

Alan Campbell: The consultation closed at the end of May and we have received more than 8,000 responses.
	My Department is analysing the responses to inform development of a strategy which will be launched by the end of the year.

Operation Pathway

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to review progress on Operation Pathway since the resignation of Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick.

David Hanson: It is a long-held practice of successive Governments not to comment on ongoing police investigations.

Kingsnorth Climate Camp: Policing

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the policing of Kingsnorth climate camp in August 2008.

David Hanson: The Home Office has received a number of items of parliamentary and public correspondence, and a number of media enquiries, relating to the policing tactics employed at Kingsnorth climate camp in August 2008.

Asylum: Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency spent on  (a) commercial air flights and  (b) chartering flights for the deportation of unsuccessful asylum seekers in each month of the last four years.

Phil Woolas: The total costs for public expense removals on scheduled flights and chartered flights in each of the last four financial years are shown in the following table. It is not possible to disaggregate the costs for removal of failed asylum seekers from the overall removal figures without the examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed and departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis. National Statistics on immigration and asylum are placed in the Library of the House and are available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			   
			   Charter flights  Scheduled flights( 1) 
			 2005-06 4,339,865.31 12,933,092.35 
			 2006-07 4,149,294.35 12,895,668.31 
			 2007-08 4,811,162.12 15,606,958.80 
			 2008-09 8,227,553.38 18,562,162.35 
			 (1) The total cost of charter and scheduled flights includes administration cost plus cancellation fees.

Borders

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the future functions of the UK's border authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government have already taken steps to strengthen our borders and control migration, a significant part of which is integrating immigration and customs operations at ports and airports in a way that connects effectively to local and special branch policing.
	The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill contains provisions which will build a robust legal framework for the UK Border Agency and ensure officers have the powers they need to do their job effectively.

Crimes of Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on initiatives for sharing hospitals' anonymised data about violent crime with police forces.

Alan Campbell: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, in his former role as Health Secretary, drove work to ensure that A and E departments were sharing data with crime reduction partners. 58 hospitals in Tackling Knives Action Programme areas are now sharing data, including six in Hampshire. The Home Secretary is planning to meet the Secretary of State for Health to discuss the acceleration of this work.

Crimes of Violence: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) crimes of burglary,  (b) violent crimes and  (c) vehicle crimes were reported in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The available information relates to offences recorded by the police and is given in the following table.
	A number of changes have been made to recorded crime in response to suggestions in the two reviews of crime statistics. One such change is that the term 'violent crime' is no longer used in connection with the recorded crime statistics and figures for violence against the person are now provided.
	
		
			  Selected offences recorded by the police in the Essex police force area and Castle Point Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area 
			  Number 
			  Area and year  Burglary( 1)  Violence against the person  Vehicle crimes( 2) 
			  Essex
			 2003-04 16,467 26,010 22,888 
			 2004-05 14,771 25,361 20,276 
			 2005-06 14,856 23,880 21,724 
			 2006-07 14,030 22,823 20,019 
			 2007-08 14,141 23,145 16,634 
			 
			  Castle Point
			 2003-04 663 867 1,182 
			 2004-05 661 792 803 
			 2005-06 601 773 956 
			 2006-07 548 708 1,018 
			 2007-08 608 750 740 
			 (1) Includes burglary in a dwelling and other burglary. (2) Includes theft of or from a vehicle and interfering with a motor vehicle.

Crimes of Violence: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of violent crime in the West Midlands was perpetrated against  (a) young people,  (b) families and  (c) pensioners in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: The requested information is not collected centrally.
	Recorded crime data provided to the Home Office from each police force area cannot separately identify the individual circumstances of victims.

Crimes of Violence: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of violent crime in the West Midlands was perpetrated against  (a) females and  (b) males in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: The requested information is not collected centrally.
	Recorded crime data provided to the Home Office from each police force area does not separately identify offences committed against females and males.

Databases: Communication

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for a national database maintaining records of  (a) e-mails,  (b) Voice Over Internet Protocol telephone calls and  (c) instant messages; and if he will make statement.

David Hanson: The Government have no plans to build a national database maintaining records of e-mails, VoIP telephone calls or instant messages.
	This was made clear in the public consultation Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment which was published by the Home Secretary on 27 April 2009.

Departmental Data Protection

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many breaches of information security there have been at  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in the last five years.

Phil Woolas: It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on breaches of information security.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in his Department are suspended; how many are suspended on full pay; for how long each has been suspended; and what the reasons are for each such suspension.

Phil Woolas: Of the 26,935 staff employed within Home Office HQ, the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau, 34 members of staff were suspended as of 21 April 2009.
	Information on the number of staff suspended on full pay is withheld on confidentiality grounds, as fewer than five members of staff are suspended with no pay.
	The length of time staff have been suspended up to 21 April is as follows:
	0-6 months18 members of staff
	6-12 monthsfewer than five members of staff
	1-2 yearssix members of staff
	2-3 yearsfewer than five members of staff
	3-4 yearsfewer than five members of staff
	4-5 yearsfewer than five member of staff
	The 34 members of staff were suspended pending the outcome of investigations into alleged misconduct or other serious concerns about their suitability for continued employment.

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many public consultations have been conducted by his Department since 27 June 2007; what the title of each was; how many responses were received to each; and what estimate has been made of the total cost incurred for each consultation.

Phil Woolas: In line with the Government's code of practice on consultation, the Home Office publishes all its consultation documents on the websites referred to as follows. The number of responses received for individual consultations is recorded in the Government response documents. These are published on the relevant website alongside the consultations themselves. The costs incurred for each consultation are met from within existing departmental resources. It would not be possible to separate out the costs which could be attributed to a consultation from the normal day-to-day departmental business.
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/haveyoursay/
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/consultations/

Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people awaiting deportation were held in open prisons on 1 June 2009.

Phil Woolas: Figures published by the Ministry of Justice confirm that at March 2009 there were 204 foreign nationals held in open prisons. Information relating to the number of those who are awaiting deportation is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Offenders

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of foreign nationals found guilty of a criminal offence and subject to deportation orders were deported in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly written to the Home Affairs Select Committee in order to provide it with all the robust and accurate information available relating to foreign national criminals. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.

DNA: Databases

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations of cases of  (a) murder,  (b) grievous bodily harm and  (c) rape or other serious sexual assault have resulted in convictions on the basis of DNA samples previously taken from people arrested but not convicted in relation to an earlier suspected offence in each of the last 10 years; and how many such convictions were made (i) up to three, (ii) between three and six, (iii) between six and nine, (iv) between nine and 12 and (v) more than 12 years after the taking of those samples.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 14 May 2009
	Information is not held centrally on the number of cases in which a DNA sample has contributed to a conviction. The National DNA Database (NDNAD), which contains profiles obtained from DNA subject samples, does not hold any information indicating either innocence or guilt. It is used as an intelligence database to assist the police in the investigation of crime and detection of potential offenders. The Police National Computer (PNC) holds information on convictions and whether a record exists on the National DNA Database. However, a manual case by case examination would be required to determine whether the DNA profile contributed to the conviction.
	The European Court of Human Rights in the case of S and Marper recognised that biometric data pursues the legitimate purpose of the detection, and therefore, prevention of crime. The National DNA Database contributes to public protection. Between April 1998 and September 2008, there were over 390,000 crimes with DNA matches, providing the police with a lead on the possible identity of the offender. In 2007-08, 17,614 crimes were detected in which a DNA match was available. They included 83 homicides, 184 rapes and a further 15,420 additional detections.

Drunkenness: Fines

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were fined for an offence of drunkenness in  (a) a highway,  (b) a public place and  (c) licensed premises in each year since 2003.

Alan Campbell: Information showing the number of people fined for Being found drunk in a highway or other Public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises in England and Wales, 2004 to 2007 is provided in table 1.
	Data held on the Courts Proceedings Database cannot separately identify the exact location where the offence took place, the figures supplied refer to those found drunk in either a highway, public place or licensed premises, where such an offence was the principle offence for which the offender was sentenced, where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principle offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed.
	Information showing the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued for being found drunk in a highway or other Public place in England and Wales, 2004 to 2007 is provided in table 2. PND data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Offenders fined for offences under S.12 of the Licensing Act 1872( 1) , 2003-07 
			   Number 
			 2003 1,304 
			 2004 1,014 
			 2005 868 
			 2006 709 
			 2007 664 
			 (1) Licensing Act 1872 S.12 - Being found drunk in a highway or other Public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system Source:  OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued for being Drunk in a Highway, England and Wales, 2004 - 07( 1,2) 
			   Number 
			 2004 2,497 
			 2005 3,138 
			 2006 2,712 
			 2007 2,066 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme was implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales in 2004 under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Economic and Monetary Union

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what activities have been undertaken by his Department's Euro Minister in that capacity.

Phil Woolas: A Home Office Minister has not attended any meetings on the Euro since 2007 and there are no plans to do so.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of applications from overseas students for visa extensions have taken longer than three months to process in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 19 June 2009
	During the last 12 months, 35,527 applications were made by students for an extension of leave, of which, 3,230 (9 per cent.) have taken longer than three months to decide.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from  (a) training providers,  (b) further education colleges and  (c) universities on the effect of the points-based immigration system on student visas.

Phil Woolas: Since the implementation of Tier 4 on 31 March 2009, UKBA has received many representations. These have been considered and where necessary changes made to the process. To facilitate a rapid response to issues, a priority resolution team has been established.

Forensic Science Service: Contracts

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value of each contract for overseas work held by the Forensic Science Service is; and at which sites work on such contracts is being undertaken.

Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) undertakes a range of advisory and consulting contracts with a number of international clients. These contracts are currently worth in the region of 2 million.
	Contract 1Work delivered at contract location (Europe). Staff to deliver required services are primarily situated in London, Birmingham (Trident Court) and Chepstow with some support from other FSS sites. The contract is due to finish in November 2009.
	Contract 2Work delivered in US and at Birmingham (Trident Court). Staff to deliver required services situated in Trident Court and London. The contract is due to finish in September 2009.
	Contract 3Delivered at Birmingham (Trident Court). Staff to deliver required services are primarily situated in Trident Court and London with some support from other FSS sites. The contract is due to finish in August 2009.
	Contract 4under negotiationWork delivered at Birmingham (Trident Court) and in Abu Dhabi. Staff to deliver required services are primarily situated in Trident Court and London with some support from other FSS sites. Contract expected to finish in December 2009.
	The FSS is unwilling to disclose the values of the individual contracts as those details are commercially sensitive.

Fraud

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the amount of money which has been lost through Ponzi-type frauds in each of the last five years;
	(2)  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been victims of Ponzi-type frauds in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 2 July 2009
	These figures are not available centrally, however in 2007 the OFT published its research into the impact of mass market scams which estimated that 90,000 people in the UK fall victim to high risk investment scams (including Ponzi schemes) each year at an estimated cost of 490 million per year.

G20: Greater London

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2009,  Official Report, column 191W, on the G20: Greater London, at which central London hotel accommodation was provided.

Alan Johnson: Accommodation was provided at the Strand Palace Hotel.

Human Trafficking

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department has allocated to the prevention of crime relating to the trafficking of people from  (a) EU member states and  (b) other countries in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: Since the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 which criminalised the trafficking of human beings, we have provided the UK Human Trafficking Centre with 5.6 million. Additionally, we fund the Serious Organised Crime Agency, which has organised immigration crime as its second highest priority, with around 400 million per annum.
	Funds to these two organisations are not provided on a hypothecated basis in order to allow them the operational and financial freedom to put resources into all work, including prevention on an intelligence-led basis.
	Within the existing budget, the UK Human Trafficking Centre has developed the Blue Blindfold brand under which future awareness raising and prevention work will take place.

Illegal Immigrants

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has allocated to the apprehension of illegal immigrants in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has allocated to the prevention of illegal immigration in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how much funding his Department has allocated to assist the co-operation between the UK Border Agency and its predecessors and police forces in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to break down how much funding the Department has allocated across the broad headings requested, in each year since 1997, without risking inconsistency or potential double counting, except at disproportionate cost.
	The available public spending figures for the UK Border Agency and its predecessors for each year from 1997 onwards have been set out in the following table for convenience. The sources of this information are the Home Office annual reports cited as follows. These are available in the Library of the House.
	
		
			   000 
			 1997-98 215,000 
			 1998-99 362,618 
			 1999-2000 818,086 
			 2000-01 1,336,399 
			 2001-02 1,621,571 
			 2002-03 1,857,252 
			 2003-04 1,891,279 
			 2004-05 1,614,232 
			 2005-06 1,528,230 
			 2006-07 1,463,464 
			 2007-08 1,439,229 
			 2008-09 (estimated outturn) 1,418,090 
			 Note:  The 1997-98 figure is rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Immigration

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of stateless people who have arrived in the UK from  (a) Africa,  (b) Afghanistan,  (c) the Middle East,  (d) North and South America and  (e) Asia.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 27 April 2009
	 The table contains details of the number of recorded admissions and grants of entry made at the UK Border to stateless nationals from 2004 to 2007. This is the latest period for which published information is available. Further information regarding the number of individuals granted entry in this category could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual records only at disproportionate cost.
	The arrival routings of passengers entering the UK in this category are not routinely recorded. It is therefore not currently possible to provide accurate statistics on the embarkation points of stateless passengers who arrive in the UK.
	
		
			  Passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom recorded as stateless nationals by purpose of journey( 1) , 2004-07United Kingdom 
			  Number of journeys 
			   Total  Visitors  Passengers returning after a temporary absence abroad  Passengers in transit  Others given leave to enter 
			 2004 78,455 18,330 54,070 2,380 3,675 
			 2005 71,860 16,085 50,105 2,225 3,445 
			 2006(2) 64,830 15,615 43,945 2,205 3,065 
			 2007(1,3) 44,035 10,745 29,400 1,930 1,960 
			 (1) Excludes asylum related grants of leave to enter. (2 )Due to some gaps in the data from ports estimates have been used. (3 )Provisional.  Notes: 1. May undercount as some administrative records on non-EEA nationals were unavailable for statistical analysis. 2. Data have been rounded to the nearest five. 
		
	
	This information has been taken from published Home Office Statistics which can be found at
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants entered the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system in 2008.

Phil Woolas: Data relating to passengers entering the United Kingdom in 2008 are currently being prepared for inclusion in the Home Office statistical publication Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom. This is due to be published on 27 August 2009.

Immigration Officers: Restraint Techniques

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department provides to immigration officers on the use of control and restraint techniques.

Phil Woolas: All immigration officers undertaking arrest activity are trained on a three week bespoke course for the UK Border Agency which is guided by the Personal Safety Manual approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
	A key component of the course is conflict management. Immigration officers are taught a range of verbal and physical techniques to equip them for undertaking enforcement activity in a safe and managed way for both themselves and the people they come into contact with. Immigration officers are required to be refreshed on this component annually.
	Further guidance on control and restraint can be found in the Enforcement Instructions and Guidance at Chapter 45.2.10, which is available to view on the UK Border Agency website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/enforcement/

Immigration: Gurkhas

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in the UK Border Agency were working on cases involving Gurkhas on  (a) 1 January 2009 and  (b) 1 May 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Applications for settlement from former Gurkhas are considered by caseworkers in the UK and overseas (primarily in New Delhi).
	On 1 January 2009 no caseworkers were actively engaged in considering applications from Gurkhas discharged before 1 July 1997. Consideration of applications was suspended while the guidance was reviewed.
	While the applications from Gurkhas who retired before 1 July 1997 were on hold caseworkers in the UK and overseas continued to deal with applications from those discharged after 1 July 1997. No specific casework resource was dedicated to the consideration of these cases. They were dealt with in the normal stream of settlement applications.
	New guidance was published on 24 April 2009 and decision making resumed after its publication. Teams were constituted and ready before 1 May 2009. In New Delhi three Entry Clearance Officers and one Entry Clearance Manager were ready to begin work. In the UK 27 caseworkers were dedicated to review the pending cases.

Independent Safeguarding Authority: Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of information held on the Independent Safeguarding Authority database.

David Hanson: Much of the information held by the Independent Safeguarding Authority is obtained from the security accredited police national computer (PNC). Information added to the PNC undergoes a series of checks to ensure accuracy The ISA will therefore accept such information as accurate and will not carry out further checks. However a range of technical and non-technical controls are employed to ensure the security and non-contamination of these records. Information obtained from other sources (such as employers) is subjected to strict accuracy and integrity checks.

Independent Safeguarding Authority: Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long records relating to an individual who has ceased to work with children will continue to be held on the Independent Safeguarding Authority database.

David Hanson: Records relating to individuals will be retained in accordance with the ISA's data retention policy. The ISA is aware of its responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and ensures that information is retained and reviewed in accordance with the legislation. The data retention policy is being developed and will be discussed with the Information Commissioner. It will be finalised in line with the ISA assuming its full statutory responsibilities in July 2010.
	This policy will set the specific timelines for ISA data retention which will depend upon the nature of the record and the purpose for which it is being retained.

International Organization for Migration

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what services the International Organization for Migration is contracted to provide to his Department.

Phil Woolas: The International Organization for Migration is currently contracted to provide services to the Home Office on the following programmes:
	Voluntary Assisted Return and Re-integration Programme (VARRP)
	Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular Migrants (AVRIM)
	Facilitated Removals Scheme
	Gateway Protection Programme
	Iraqi Local Staff Direct Entry Scheme
	Global Calais Project
	Inter-Governmental Conversations on Asylum (IGCs)
	East African Migration Routes
	Pre-Entry TB Screening Programme

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely effects on levels of activity of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the UK of the military defeat of that group in Sri Lanka.

David Hanson: As a matter of policy we do not disclose assessments of levels of terrorist activity and violent extremism in the UK. The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) is responsible for assessing the terrorist threat to this country and UK interests overseas, and Ministers play no part in that process.
	The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTETamil Tigers) has for many years been the main terrorist organisation connected to Tamil affairs in Sri Lanka. The LTTE remains a proscribed organisation in the UK, and membership, fundraising and various other activities in support of the organisation are criminal offences. The prosecution of terrorist offences committed in support of the LTTE is the responsibility of the police and Crown Prosecution Service.

National ANPR Data Centre

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what procedures are in place for access to the National ANPR Data Centre;
	(2)  who has access to the National ANPR Data Centre;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the level of accuracy of information held on the National ANPR Data Centre.

David Hanson: The National ANPR Data Centre (NADC) is currently under development and test. Access to the NADC by police forces will be subject to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, setting out their responsibilities, including agreeing that access to data is solely for policing purposes, as defined within the code of practice on the management of police information under the terms of the Police Act 1996 (as amended), in support of investigation.
	Currently, a small number of police forces have access to the NADC for the purpose of helping to test the facility. Further roll-out to police forces and other law enforcement agencies will be subject to an assessment of their operational requirement and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.
	Chief constables are data controllers in common for ANPR data and are responsible for the accuracy of the data that is fed into the NADC. The National ACPO ANPR Standards (NAAS) sets out the criteria for ANPR data quality fed into a police force's ANPR systems and forwarded to the NADC.

Offensive Weapons

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of possession of a knife in each police force area in each year since 2007.

David Hanson: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts for having an article with a blade or point in a public place or on school premises in England and Wales, broken down by police force area for 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts for having an article with a blade or point in a public place or on school premises, England and Wales, 2007, broken down by police force area( 1, 2) 
			  Police force area  Number 
			 Avon and Somerset 163 
			 Bedfordshire 62 
			 Cambridgeshire 54 
			 Cheshire 108 
			 City of London 9 
			 Cleveland 90 
			 Cumbria 46 
			 Derbyshire 99 
			 Devon and Cornwall 138 
			 Dorset 63 
			 Durham 92 
			 Essex 160 
			 Gloucestershire 41 
			 Greater Manchester 394 
			 Hampshire 169 
			 Hertfordshire 68 
			 Humberside 147 
			 Kent 5 
			 Lancashire 151 
			 Leicestershire 118 
			 Lincolnshire 47 
			 Merseyside 215 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,459 
			 Norfolk 78 
			 North Yorkshire 52 
			 Northamptonshire 4 
			 Northumbria 259 
			 Nottinghamshire 152 
			 South Yorkshire 138 
			 Staffordshire 86 
			 Suffolk 89 
			 Surrey 42 
			 Sussex 140 
			 Thames Valley 139 
			 Warwickshire 32 
			 West Mercia 100 
			 West Midlands 392 
			 West Yorkshire 190 
			 Wiltshire 48 
			 Dyfed-Powys 35 
			 Gwent 66 
			 North Wales 89 
			 South Wales 140 
			 England and Wales 6,169 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Offensive Weapons: Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged 16 years and under were arrested for carrying knives in  (a) Ashford,  (b) Kent and  (c) England and Wales in the last year for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. From these centrally reported data it is not possible to separate arrests for knife offences from the main offence groups.
	The stop and search collections held by the Home Office cover searches and resultant arrests under various legislation, including those for offensive weapons. These data cannot separately identify searches and resultant arrests for the possession of knives.

South Yorkshire Police Service

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rate of  (a) absence and  (b) absence resulting from ill health was in South Yorkshire Police Service employees in 2008-09; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Figures on long-term absence for the financial year 2008-09 can be supplied after the headline figures are published on 23 July.
	Figures on sickness absence for the financial year 2008-09 will be available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performance-and-measurement/performance-assessment/
	after publication of the Analysis of Policing and Community Safety (APACS) data in the autumn.
	Information on costs is not available.

Travel Restrictions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2009,  Official Report, column 321W, on travel restrictions, what definition of unacceptable behaviour his Department uses as a criteria for exclusion from the UK.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 June 2009
	The then Home Secretary, the right hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), announced to Parliament on 20 July 2005 that he would broaden his existing powers to exclude or deport those who present an indirect threat to national security, public order or the rule of law in the UK or to the UK's good relations with a third country. Consultation on implementing this decision was also announced. Following the consultation the criteria for unacceptable behaviour was published in a Press Release on 24 August 2005 entitled Tackling Terrorism-Behaviours Unacceptable in the UK.

Travel Restrictions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2009,  Official Report, column 321W, on travel restrictions, how many people there are on the list of foreign nationals excluded from the UK on unacceptable behaviour grounds.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 June 2009
	The list published by the Home Secretary on 5 May 2009 includes 22 people who were excluded from the UK on the grounds of unacceptable behaviour between October 2008 and March 2009. Since August 2005, when the policy was announced, 105 individuals have been excluded from the UK on grounds of unacceptable behaviour.

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham of 25 March and 19 May 2009 sent on behalf of his constituent, Mr Ali Mohamad.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 25 June 2009.

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the UK Border Agency hold dual citizenship.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency does not centrally record the nationality of employees upon appointment.
	All candidates are subject to the same pre-appointment checks regardless of nationality. Our pre-appointment checks ensure that we only select those that pass eligibility in accordance with the Cabinet Office nationality requirements:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/Nationality-Requirements/Nationality-Requirements.aspx

Warrants

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrest warrants were outstanding in respect of  (a) unpaid fines,  (b) breaches of community orders and  (c) revocation of parole licences in each probation area in England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The Ministry of Justice does not hold information centrally on the number of arrest warrants outstanding with regard to category  (a) in your question. In relation to category  (b), I can provide the data in the first table which are the outstanding warrants for breaches of community orders, by area, as at 31 March 2009. These data come from an internal management system that was developed and introduced in October 2005. The data have yet to be fully quality assured and are based on the information currently available.
	In relation to category  (c), the number of offenders who have been recalled up to and including 30 June 2008 but not returned to custody by 26 June 2009 is outlined in the second table. These data have been compiled by reconciling data from the Police National Computer (PNC), Prison Service Inmate Information System (IIS) and the Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD). The reconciled data has been circulated to all police forces and probation areas to cross check against local records. In addition to the audited data we can also say that as at 26 June 2009, of those offenders recalled between 1 July 2008 and 31 March 2009, 342 offenders had not yet been returned to custody. These figures are provisional, un-audited and have not been approved by Local Criminal Justice Boards.
	
		
			  Community penalty breach warrants as at 31 March 2009 
			  Area  Outstanding warrants for breaches of community orders 
			 Avon and Somerset 105 
			 Bedfordshire 58 
			 Cambridgeshire 207 
			 Cheshire 97 
			 Cleveland 60 
			 Cumbria 18 
			 Derbyshire 102 
			 Devon and Cornwall 67 
			 Dorset 21 
			 Durham 42 
			 Dyfed-Powys 17 
			 Essex 193 
			 Gloucestershire 80 
			 Greater London 2,483 
			 Greater Manchester 683 
			 Gwent 77 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 213 
			 Hertfordshire 39 
			 Humberside 61 
			 Kent 141 
			 Lancashire 85 
			 Leicestershire 71 
			 Lincolnshire 64 
			 Merseyside 178 
			 Norfolk 63 
			 North Wales 98 
			 North Yorkshire 35 
			 Northamptonshire 71 
			 Northumbria 129 
			 Nottinghamshire 152 
			 South Wales 301 
			 South Yorkshire 127 
			 Staffordshire 72 
			 Suffolk 44 
			 Surrey 35 
			 Sussex 144 
			 Thames Valley 224 
			 Warwickshire 62 
			 West Mercia 72 
			 West Midlands 481 
			 West Yorkshire 200 
			 Wiltshire 40 
		
	
	
		
			  LCJB area  Number of offenders whose licences were revoked on or before 30 June 2008 and were not returned to custody by 26 June 2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 10 
			 Bedfordshire 10 
			 Cambridgeshire 9 
			 Cheshire 5 
			 Cleveland/Teesside 2 
			 Cumbria 0 
			 Derbyshire 5 
			 Devon and Cornwall 5 
			 Dorset 6 
			 Durham 2 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 
			 Essex 15 
			 Gloucester 2 
			 Greater Manchester 27 
			 Gwent 4 
			 Hampshire 8 
			 Hertfordshire 10 
			 Humberside 3 
			 Kent 15 
			 Lancashire 8 
			 Leicestershire 10 
			 Lincolnshire 3 
			 London 218 
			 Merseyside 17 
			 Norfolk 5 
			 North Wales 3 
			 North Yorkshire 2 
			 Northamptonshire 3 
			 Northumbria 5 
			 Nottinghamshire 8 
			 South Wales 14 
			 South Yorkshire 13 
			 Staffordshire 4 
			 Suffolk 6 
			 Surrey 6 
			 Sussex 18 
			 Thames Valley 21 
			 Warwickshire 8 
			 West Mercia 5 
			 West Midlands 57 
			 West Yorkshire 13 
			 Wiltshire 0 
			 Not specified(1) 27 
			 Total 612 
			 (1) These are not specified due to old records not containing address information. These offenders have been allocated to the area of last known address on the Police National Computer for operational purposes.

HEALTH

Augmented Care Period Dataset

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what categories of data his Department collects to maintain the augmented care period dataset.

Mike O'Brien: The augmented care dataset is no longer collected. It was replaced on 1 April 2006 by the Critical Care Minimum Dataset. The categories of data collected through the Critical Care Minimum Dataset are as follows:
	Critical Care Local Identifier;
	Critical Care Start Date;
	Critical Care Unit Function;
	Advanced Respiratory Support Days;
	Basic respiratory Support Days;
	Advanced Cardiovascular Support Days;
	Basic Cardiovascular Support Days;
	Renal Support Days;
	Neurological Support Days;
	Dermatological Support Days;
	Liver Support Days;
	Critical Care Level 3 Days;
	Critical Care Level 2 Days; and
	Critical Care Discharge Date.
	Validated information for these categories is not available and the NHS Information Centre is conducting an audit process to ensure that reliable information is available for future years.

Blood Transfusions: Ireland

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 656, what the evidential basis was for the Minister of State's statement that the Irish Blood Transfusion Service was at fault.

Gillian Merron: There were two judicial inquiries in Ireland relating to contaminated blood and blood products which found that wrongful acts were committed by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
	Between 1977 and 1994, a large number of women in the Irish Republic were infected with Hepatitis C from contaminated Anti-D immunoglobulin produced by the Irish national blood transfusion service. An expert group set up by the Irish Government found the blood service to have been at fault, and the same conclusion was reached by a later judicial inquiry chaired by the Honourable Mr. Justice T. A. Finlay. The Report of the Finlay Tribunal of Inquiry into the Blood Transfusion Service Board was published on 6 March 1997.
	On 2 June 1999, both Houses of the Oireachtas passed a Resolution that a further Tribunal of Inquiry should be established to examine and report on certain matters of urgent public importance relating to the infection with Hepatitis C and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) of persons with haemophilia. The Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Infection with HIV and Hepatitis C of Persons with Haemophilia and Related Matters was published on 5 September 2002 by Her Honour Judge Alison Lindsay.

Breast Cancer: Males

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many men in each age group were  (a) diagnosed with and  (b) successfully treated for breast cancer in (i) Southend West constituency, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in each of the last 12 years.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter  from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	.
	The latest available figures for (a) newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006. There were 5 newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in males in (i) Southend West parliamentary constituency over the period 1995 to 2006. The number of cases of male breast cancer in all ages diagnosed in (ii) Essex county is shown in Table 1 for each of the last 12 years. Due to small numbers, further age and year breakdowns are not available for Southend West parliamentary constituency and Essex county.
	The number of cases of male breast cancer in each age group diagnosed in (iii) England and Wales in each of the last 12 years is shown in Table 2.
	It cannot be stated definitively whether a person has been (b) 'successfully treated' for breast cancer. For most cancers, but not breast, five-year survival rates are often taken to be 'cure' rates. Survival rates for men diagnosed with breast cancer are therefore not available.
	Figures for Essex county do not include Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of male breast cancer( 1) : Essex county, 1995 to 2006 
			   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Essex county 9 7 7 9 6 6 7 5 6 10 6 12 
			 (1) Breast cancer is coded to C50 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).  Source:  Office for National Statistics. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of male breast cancer( 1)  by age group: England and Wales, 1995 to 2006 
			   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Age group 
			 0-14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 15-19 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 20-24 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 25-29 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 
			 30-34 2 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 4 0 3 
			 35-39 2 0 1 1 3 2 4 1 4 4 4 3 
			 40-44 4 3 4 3 6 3 2 4 6 8 7 6 
			 45-49 7 11 9 5 6 9 7 10 9 9 7 11 
			 50-54 14 12 18 22 18 16 15 15 21 10 13 14 
			 55-59 15 21 18 19 23 21 27 19 30 24 31 28 
			 60-64 27 17 26 29 36 26 26 34 43 32 25 36 
			 65-69 30 31 42 48 39 27 32 34 36 39 28 33 
			 70-74 48 40 48 42 44 27 56 47 35 36 48 51 
			 75-79 43 41 28 38 50 52 30 46 56 47 27 42 
			 80-84 22 22 21 38 34 23 28 27 41 43 24 40 
			 85+ 18 13 24 28 18 22 24 33 24 30 32 24 
			  
			 England and Wales 232 215 240 274 278 229 253 274 306 286 247 293 
			 (1) Breast cancer is coded to C50 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).  Sources:  Office for National Statistics; Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.

Cabinet: Glasgow

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) special advisers and  (b) officials of his Department accompanied him to Glasgow for the Cabinet meeting on 16 April 2009;
	(2)  what car journeys he took in attending the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009;
	(3)  how much expenditure was incurred by his Department in respect of the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009;
	(4)  what expenditure on  (a) travel,  (b) accommodation and  (c) food (i) he and (ii) officials in his Department incurred in connection with the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009;
	(5)  when he will answer question  (a) 273965,  (b) 273966,  (c) 273967 and  (d) 273968, tabled on 5 May 2009, on the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow.

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle (Alan Johnson) attended Cabinet on 16 April 2009 as the Secretary of State for Health. He was accompanied by a private secretary. He was not accompanied by any special advisers.
	Total expenditure incurred by the Department was 1,064.25 for travel and 241.27 for overnight accommodation and food.
	For information relating to the Cabinet and public engagement event held in Glasgow on 16 April I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2009,  Official Report, column 487W.

Cancer: Health Services

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatments are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for the purposes of treating cancer of each ICD-10 classification.

Mike O'Brien: This information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Cancer: Health Services

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what methodology was used to derive the figures contained in the table in Box 8 of his Department's first annual report on the Cancer Reform Strategy, Maintaining Momentum, published on 1 December 2008; and what the equivalent figures are for the latest year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The data shown in the table in Box 8 of the first annual report on the Cancer Reform Strategy were compiled using Hospital Episode Statistics showing the number of finished consultant episodes for cancer-related prostatectomy and cystectomy by trust for 1997-98 and 2006-07.
	A table showing the count of finished consultant episodes for cancer-related prostatectomy, cystectomy and cystoprosatectomy by trust in 2007-08, the latest year for which this information is available, has been placed in the Library.

Care Homes

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the average cost to a resident of a single room in  (a) a residential older people's home and  (b) a nursing home.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected by the Department.
	According to the Laing and Buisson report Care of Elderly People: UK Market Survey 2008 the average weekly costs for single rooms in private care homes for older people in England in 2008-09, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   Care home with nursing  Care homes 
			 Single 691 474 
			 Sharing 584 416 
		
	
	People with less than 23,000 in capital can get help with the cost of residential care from their local authority social services department. According to the same report, 61 per cent. of the total cost of residential care is funded by social services, or by the national health service to cover nursing care.

Carers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer from Baroness Thornton of 13 March 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column 364, on care services: older adults and disabled people, for what reasons publication of the Social Care Green Paper has been delayed; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: It is widely accepted that the current care and support system will not be able to cope with the growing demands and expectations of those needing care in the future. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us all to help create a care and support system capable of supporting people well into the 21st century so it is important we get this right. The Green Paper will be published shortly.

Dementia: Research

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS medical research budget was spent on researching dementia in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: National health service support for degenerative neurological disorder research and National Institute for Health Research investment in dementia research amounted in 2007-08 to 22.2 million. This represents some 3 per cent. of the departmental research and development revenue budget for the year.

Departmental Pay

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 852W, on departmental pay, how many staff in his Department received a salary of more than 100,000 in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The following table presents the data, which is derived from departmental reports for the years as requested.
	
		
			  In post date  Number of staff earning a salary over 100,000 on that date 
			 1 April 2008 71 
			 1 April 2007 72 
			 1 April 2006 64 
			 1 April 2005 71 
			 1 April 2004 56 
			 1 April 2003 52 
			 1 April 2002 39 
			 1 April 2001 30 
			 1 April 2000 23 
			 1 April 1999 16 
			 1 April 1998 12 
			 1 April 1997 8 
		
	
	These figures include secondees from the Department out to other organisations but not secondees from external organisations into the Department. Salaries included base pay and pay-related allowances but not bonuses. The figure for 1 April 2007 has been corrected from that given in the 2008 departmental report as that figure did not include allowances.

Departmental Pay

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 852W, on departmental pay, what position each of the 71 senior civil servants holds; and what their average salary is.

Phil Hope: The average (mean) salary of the 71 civil servants mentioned in the answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 852W, about departmental pay was 135,740.
	The positions held by those 71 civil servants are listed as follows:
	3 Permanent Secretaries
	10 Directors General
	35 Directors
	5 Deputy Directors
	18 Doctors employed by the Department on NHS pay terms.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) sections of his Department and  (b) non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have requested money saved from efficiency savings to be used for increased pay in their 2009 pay offers to staff.

Phil Hope: The Department and its two agencies (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency) are currently in a three-year pay settlement covered by the Pay Remit process. Discussions took place with trade unions in May 2009 about the possibility of recycling efficiency savings into the pay deal under the terms of the remit guidance but it was clear that the scale of efficiency savings required by the remit would not allow this. Hence, the decision was taken not to request money for 2009.
	The Department has 10 executive non-departmental public bodies (ENDPBs). Of the eight ENDPBs covered by the Pay Remit process none has requested money saved from efficiency savings to be used for increased pay in their 2009, pay offers to staff. Two ENDPBs were granted leave by HM Treasury to apply the nationally agreed Agenda for Change three year pay settlement.

Departmental Reviews

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations,  (c) taskforces and  (d) departmental studies his Department is scheduled to undertake in the next 12 months; when each is to begin; when each is expected to be completed; what estimate he has made of the cost of each; and when the results of each will be published;
	(2)  what (a) reviews,  (b) consultations,  (c) taskforces and  (d) departmental studies his Department is conducting; what the purpose is of each; when each began; when each (i) was scheduled and (ii) is expected to be completed; what the cost of each (A) was originally estimated to be, (B) has been to date and (C) is expected to be on completion; and when the results of each will be published.

Phil Hope: The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the following key announcements have been made since 1 April 2009.
	
		
			  Subject  Launch date  Closing date  Date published  Cost () 
			 Review of NHS Dentistry in England 12 December 2008 22 June 2009 22 June 2009 (1)435,000 
			 NHS Medical Education England review of the effect of the European working time directive on junior doctor training 21 May 2009 (2) (2) (2) 
			 NHS Taskforce on Violence against Women and Girls 13 May 2009 November 2009 November 2009 (3) 
			 (1) Estimate (2) Details currently being considered (3 )Costs are likely to be minimal 
		
	
	The following formal written public consultations are currently live on the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/index.htm
	
		
			  Subject  Launch date  Closing date 
			 A new objective for MRSA: National Quality Board stakeholder engagement 11 June 2009 24 July 2009 
			 The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010, and the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Order of Council 2010A paper for consultation. 4 June 2009 28 August 2009 
			 A Department of Health consultation paper: draft guidance on provisions to deal with nuisance or disturbance behaviour on NHS premises in England 12 May 2009 4 August 2009 
			 A better future: a consultation on a future strategy for adults with autistic spectrum conditions 29 April 2009 15 September 2009 
			 Consultation on ordinary residence guidance, directions and cross-border arrangements 21 April 2009 17 July 2009 
			 Environmental design principles for adult medium secure units 17 April 2009 10 July 2009 
			 The regulation of private hearing aid dispensers by the Health Professions Council: a paper for consultation 7 April 2009 7 July 2009

Drugs: Prisons

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many (a) young offender institutions and  (b) prisons the Integrated Drug Treatment System is operational.

Phil Hope: There have been four waves of Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) funding. The first wave of IDTS funding was announced in June 2006. Of the first to third waves (2006-07 to 2008-09 financial years) 78 of the 91 IDTS prisons have been assessed as having an operational service providing all the key elements of IDTS clinical and psychosocial services.
	Of the 91 first to third waves of IDTS there are 19 prisons with a young offenders population. Only one young offenders institute that received IDTS funding in the third wave does not have an operational IDTS.

Health Education: Local Government

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role he envisages for local government in the proposed health innovation education clusters.

Ann Keen: There is no single prescribed model for a health innovation and education cluster (HIEC) and each one will depend on local circumstances, but a local authority could be a formal partner in a HIEC through their responsibility for social care. That could create opportunities for innovation in care pathways, for example for long-term conditions, mental health and children's services. It could also lead to developments in the joint training of health and social care professionals.
	Where a local authority is not a formal partner there will be a link to the HIEC through the local authority's role as a provider of services.

Health Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance his Department has issued to NHS organisations on the provision of treatment by Travellers.

Phil Hope: The Department has embarked on work to improve the health status of Gypsy and Traveller communities, including the Pacesetter programme, which is designed to address health inequalities that arise from discrimination and disadvantage. Within Pacesetters, 18 participating trusts are trialling ways to improve access to the national health service for Gypsies and Travellers. The Department also commissioned NHS Primary Care Commissioning to produce a Primary care commissioning framework: Gypsies and Traveller Communities, published in May 2009 as part of wider work for transient populations. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.

Health Services: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of expenditure on  (a) primary care and  (b) hospital care in Hemel Hempstead in each of the next three years.

Phil Hope: Information is not held in the format requested.
	Hemel Hempstead is covered by West Hertfordshire primary care trust (PCT). PCTs fund primary care and hospital care services from their revenue allocations. The following table provides the funding allocated to West Hertfordshire PCT for 2009-10 and 2010-11.
	
		
			   Allocation 000  Two year increase 
			   2009-10  2010-11  000  Percentage 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 773,604 813,380 78,190 10.6 
		
	
	Revenue allocations post 2010-11 have not yet been determined.
	Once the allocations have been made, it is for PCTs to commission the health care services they need to meet the needs of the populations they serve, taking into account both local priorities and the NHS Operating Framework.

Health Visitors: Registration

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new registrations of health visitors there were in each year from 1999 to 2004.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally; the Nursing and Midwifery Council maintains health visitor registrations.

Health Visitors: Registration

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new entries were included on the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Register and annotated as qualified in the health visitor area of practice in each 12 month period from August 2004.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally; the Nursing and Midwifery Council maintains all nursing registrations.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average in-patient waiting time for treatment on the NHS was in each primary care trust area in England in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: Data on median in-patient waiting times for elective admission (by commissioner) for 1999 to 2009 has been placed in the Library.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average a child waited from initial assessment for mental health service therapeutic support in each local authority area in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: Information is not available in the form requested. However, the child and adolescent mental health services mapping data produced on behalf of the Department by Durham university shows that of a sample of 23,091 children in England who were waiting for mental health services in November 2007: 9,986 had waited less than four weeks; 7,797 from four to 13 weeks; 3,084 from 13 to 26 weeks; and 2,024 had waited more than 26 weeks.

Methadone: Biometrics

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which prisons a biometric-based, computer-controlled methadone dispensing system has been installed; and what expenditure his Department incurred in respect of each such installation.

Phil Hope: To date the biometric-based computer methadone dispensing system has been installed in the following 57 prisons:
	HMP Altcourse
	HMP Belmarsh
	HMP Birmingham
	HMP Brixton
	HMP Buckley Hall
	HMP Bullingdon Community
	HMP Channingswood
	HMP Chelmsford
	HMP Dartmoor
	HMP Doncaster
	HMP Dorchester
	HMP Ashwell
	HMP Bristol
	HMP Haverrig
	HMP Highdown
	HMP Kennet
	HMP Kirkham
	HMP Lancaster Castle
	HMP Leicester
	HMP Lewes
	HMP Lincoln
	HMP Downview
	HMP Durham
	HMP Eastwood Park
	HMP Edmunds Hill
	HMP Elmley
	HMP Erlestoke
	HMP Featherstone
	HMP Foston Hall
	HMP Gloucester
	HMP Nottingham
	HMP Preston
	HMP Rochester
	HMP Shrewsbury
	HMP Standford Hill
	HMP Sudbury
	HMP Leyland
	HMP Wellingborough
	HMP Lindholme
	HMP Low Newton
	HMP Liverpool
	HMP Lowdham Grange
	HMP Maidstone
	HMP Manchester
	HMP Moorland
	HMP New Hall
	HMP Norwich
	HMP Pentonville
	HMP Reading
	HMP Ryehill
	HMP Stafford
	HMP Stocken
	HMP Wandsworh
	HMP Wealstun
	The total value of the contract is 4 million. Biometric-based computer methadone dispensing systems are currently planned for installation in 70 prisons.

Methadone: Young Offenders

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young offenders in custody are being treated with  (a) methadone and  (b) subutex.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not available.

NHS: Absenteeism

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of  (a) absence and  (b) absence resulting from injury at work was among NHS employees in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Assets

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) data fields and definitions for 2008-09; and when he expects the 2008-09 ERIC data to be available.

Mike O'Brien: A copy of the Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) data fields and definitions for 2008-09 has been placed in the Library.
	The ERIC 2008-09 data will be published by the NHS Information Centre in October 2009 and will be available for downloading from the Hospital Estates and Facilities Statistics website at:
	www.hefs.ic.nhs.uk

NHS: Religious Practice

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will revise his Department's document, NHS chaplaincy: meeting the religious and spiritual needs of patients and staff of 2003 to reflect the needs of the secular community; and if he will include in the working party referred to in annex 3 of the document members and representatives of the secular community.

Phil Hope: There are no current plans to revise this publication. Following the passage of the Equality Bill that is currently before Parliament, the Department will consider whether there is a need to revise guidance on issues of religion and belief, including NHS chaplaincy.

NHS: Working Hours

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the state of readiness returns submitted to his Department in relation to the European Working Time Directive.

Phil Hope: We will publish the information in due course.

Palliative Care: East of England

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each primary care trust within the East of England Strategic Health Authority has spent on  (a) specialist palliative care,  (b) palliative care and  (c) hospice provision in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: This information is not held centrally. It is for individual primary care trusts to decide the level of funding that is allocated to local end of life care services based on assessments of local needs and priorities.

Public Expenditure

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of his Department's capital underspend in 2009-10; and how much of that sum he proposes to return to the Exchequer.

Phil Hope: Details of the Department's capital expenditure forecasts for 2008-09 to 2010-11 were published in the 2009 departmental report (page 218), copies of which are available in the Library.
	The Department's 2008-09 capital expenditure forecast outturn will be set out in HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper to be published during week commencing 13 July 2009.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009,  Official Report, column 251W, on social care: research, if he will place in the Library a copy of the findings of the research by the Personal Social Services Research Unit.

Phil Hope: The Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) report, Analysing the costs and benefits of social care funding arrangements in England: technical report, Forder, J. and Fernandez, J-L, PSSRU Discussion Paper 2644, 2009 has been published today (6 July 2009).
	The report is available from the following website:
	www.pssru.ac.uk/pdf/dp2644.pdf
	and a copy has been placed in the Library.
	Additional research by the PSSRU will be published in due course.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Elevate East Lancashire: Finance

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the budget of the Elevate East Lancashire housing renewal pathfinder will be for each of the next five years; and how much of the budget will be spent in Burnley.

Ian Austin: The ministerial statement of 28 February 2008 set out indicative allocations for HMRhousing market renewalpathfinders over the CSR period; these are currently being reviewed. It is too early to comment on future levels of funding for the HMR programme as this will form part of the next spending review discussions. Financial information regarding HMR funding is not collected centrally for local authority areas.

Green Belt: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to protect  (a) the green belt and  (b) open green spaces in Hemel Hempstead.

Ian Austin: National and regional planning policy (Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 and the East of England Plan) both contain policy to protect green belt land and there remains a strong presumption against development.
	The East of England Plan, published in May 2008 required a possible strategic review of green belt land around Hemel Hempstead to meet regional development needs. A recent successful judicial review of this policy and its associated housing figures now require the Secretary of State to reconsider options for growth around Hemel Hempstead.
	Government planning policy (Policy Guidance Note 17) sets out the Government's approach to the provision of open space. The East of England Plan (Policy ENV1) also includes policy on creation and maintenance and creation of networks of green infrastructure. Dacorum borough council's local development plans will then make provision for open green space, including the setting of open space standards.

Housing: Energy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people had obtained a diploma in  (a) domestic energy assessment and  (b) home inspection in (i) England, (ii) Essex and (iii) Castle Point on the latest date for which figures are available.

John Healey: Training courses to gain diplomas to become either domestic energy assessors and home inspectors are provided by independent, commercial training providers, and so the Government do not collect centrally statistics about the numbers of people undertaking such training and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Energy

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many accredited energy assessors there are on the Landmark database; how many people have undertaken training courses to gain this accreditation; and what expenditure his Department has incurred in the provision of such training to date.

John Healey: A total of 11,967 accredited energy assessors are currently registered on the domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Register and 3,027 accredited energy assessors are registered on the non-domestic EPC Register. Training courses to gain accreditation are provided by commercial training providers. No data are collected centrally on the numbers of people that have undertaken training courses and to do so would involve disproportionate cost. No expenditure has been incurred by the Department in the provision of training.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have received assistance under the  (a) Mortgage Rescue Scheme,  (b) Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme and (c) HomeBuy Direct scheme in Kettering since the inception of each scheme.

John Healey: The Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been operational across England since January 2009. As part of the monitoring arrangements for the scheme headline data for January-May 2009, provided by local authorities and broken down by Government Office Region, are available on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/mortgagerescuestatistics
	Figures reported by local authorities from January-May 2009 are provided in a table, which has been placed in the Library.
	Official figures on the number of households entering the Homeowner Mortgage Support scheme will be published later this year.
	As of end June 2009 there have been no sales under Home-Buy Direct in Kettering.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses in multiple occupation were registered under  (a) mandatory,  (b) additional and  (c) selective licensing schemes in each local authority area in England in each year since licensing was introduced.

Ian Austin: The total number of applications for mandatory licences for houses in multiple occupation and the numbers of these issued by each local authority in England up to 17 June 2009 are shown in Table 1, which has been placed in the Library of the House.
	To date only 11 local authorities have designated areas for selective licensing.
	The numbers of selective licences issued by each up to 6 July 2009 are shown in Table 2, which has been placed in the Library of the House.
	To date only Peterborough has an additional licensing scheme. This only came into effect on 1 July 2009 and so, to date, no additional licences have been issued.

Property Development: Floods

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable has been set for completion of the research commissioned by his Department into the effects of paving on back gardens on levels of flood risk; how much that research has cost; and which organisation has been commissioned to undertake that research.

Ian Austin: The contract for this research was awarded to CIRIAthe Construction Industry Research and Information Associationat a cost of 49,964 excluding VAT. The research is nearing completion and the final report will be published shortly, alongside a package of proposals taking forward a number of recommendations from the Killian Pretty review of the planning process.

Retail Trade: Urban Areas

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints his Department has received on the balance of retail and non-retail outlets in town centres in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: We do not hold statistics on how many complaints have been received on the balance of retail and non-retail outlets in town centres. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Rented Housing: Freedom of Information

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the application of freedom of information legislation to information held by registered social landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: Communities and Local Government has received one representation on the application of the freedom of information legislation to registered social landlords.
	The Freedom of Information Act 2000 only applies to those public authorities listed in the Act. Local authorities are listed, but registered social landlords are not, and are therefore not subject to the Act.

Temporary Accommodation: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were in temporary accommodation in Hemel Hempstead in each of the last five years; and what the average time a household spent in such accommodation was.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 843W.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Integrated Children's System

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he had with local authorities on the Integrated Children's System prior to its introduction.

Dawn Primarolo: The original Integrated Children's System (ICS) requirements were developed between 2001 and 2003, while children's social care services were the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Health. Ten consultation events were held in 2000 with over 500 representatives from organisations responsible for child welfare in England and Wales, including local authority social services departments, private and voluntary agencies, the then Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work, pilot post-qualifying child care courses, software houses, and a number of other interested individuals. Following the Department's assumption of responsibility for ICS, my officials have maintained regular contact with local authority officers involved in implementation. Additional consultative events were held with local authorities in May 2008 to inform my Department's preparation of the specification of ICS Phase 1C.

Integrated Children's System

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what expenditure his Department has incurred on the Integrated Children's System to date.

Dawn Primarolo: Expenditure incurred on the Integrated Children's System (ICS) project from 2004-05 until 31 March 2009 was 72.6 million, including 63.2 million paid in capital grant to local authorities and 9.4 million on project costs.

National Safeguarding Delivery Unit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  whether the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit has become operational;
	(2)  what appointments have been made to the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit to date.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Safeguarding Delivery Unit became operational on 1 July 2009. The unit will be publishing a detailed work programme in September 2009.
	16 staff are already in post including staff from the Department of Children Schools and Families, Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and the Home Office. In addition, existing staff in Government Offices working on safeguarding issues form part of the unit. Further recruitment is planned, including secondments into the unit from regional and local partners and the voluntary sector. A Head of Unit, responsible for the day-to-day running of the Unit will be recruited through open competition; this post will be advertised shortly.

Outdoor Education: Safety

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 706W, on outdoor education: safety, for what reason his Department's revised guidance on health and safety of pupils on educational visits was not published in the first quarter of 2009; and when he plans to publish the revised guidance.

Diana Johnson: The Out and About website for Learning Outside the Classroom, which went live in autumn 2008, includes brief guidelines on the safety of learners on activities outside the classroom.
	A more detailed toolkit for local authorities, including model forms, will supplement this later this year, completing the Department's revision of the operational aspects of the guidance we published in 1998 and 2002.
	We will consult shortly on a high level document, provisionally entitled Health and Safety of Learners Outside the Classroom, which will underpin the material on the Learning Outside the Classroom website at:
	http://www.lotc.org.uk/
	We had hoped to start consultation on this document earlier this year, but put this back to allow more time to ensure coherence between it and the toolkit.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the budget for pupil referral units in each local authority area was in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 6 July 2009
	The available information has been placed in the House Libraries.

Teachers: Pensions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent estimate he has made of the number of teachers at  (a) primary,  (b) secondary and  (c) special schools who are registered with the Teachers Pension Scheme online service.

Vernon Coaker: There are 100,296 members registered with the Teachers Pension Scheme online service. Members do not provide information about their employment when they register and therefore the information split into sectors is not available.

Teaching Methods: Tyne and Wear

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make an assessment of the results of the spaced learning experiment on accelerated learning in Monkseaton school in Tyneside; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Department is aware of the 'spaced learning' teaching method used at Monkseaton school. There do not appear to have been a sufficiently robust or peer-reviewed evaluation of the approach which would allow any clear link between the teaching method and pupils' learning to be established.

Youth Citizenship Commission

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  whether  (a) he and  (b) officials in his Department made any representations to the Youth Citizenship Commission in respect of the drafting of its final report, Making the connection: building youth citizenship in the UK;
	(2)  whether his Department has any power to direct the work of the Youth Citizenship Commission.

Diana Johnson: The Youth Citizenship Commission was independent of Government. Secretariat support was provided by the Ministry of Justice. DCSF officials along with those from other Government Departments were asked to comment on the accuracy of statements. The Government will respond to the report's recommendations in due course.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Enterprise Champion

Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the responsibilities are of the Enterprise Champion in his Department; what the relationship between the Enterprise Champion and  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants is; what resources his Department will make available to the Enterprise Champion in his official capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 11 June 2009
	The Enterprise Champion will offer independent advice to Government from a business perspective drawing on his own experience and on consultations around the country. He will raise awareness among entrepreneurs and businesses about the practical help that is available from Government and other sources. He will also champion the cause of viable small companies with banks, encouraging lending to continue during the recession.
	The Enterprise Champion will have the use of a physical office for meetings if required but will not have a dedicated staff. Support for his work will be provided by civil servants responsible for enterprise who will provide him with briefing and arrange visits relevant to their areas as part of their normal responsibilities.

Higher Education: Admissions

Roger Gale: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of students who will be seeking full-time university courses in England following the publication of relevant examinations results in August 2009.

David Lammy: holding answer 2 July 2009
	The information is not held centrally. The latest figures published by UCAS show that as at 24 March, 474,306 students from the UK and overseas had submitted one or more applications for entry to a full-time undergraduate course at an institution in England, an increase of 8.9 per cent. compared to the same point in 2008. The total number of applicants to English institutions in 2008 was 485,936.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies have received payments from the 2.3 billion scheme for the automotive industry; and how many such companies have received monies for low-carbon technology investments.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 19 June 2009
	No loans or loan guarantees have yet been given under the Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP). We have now had requests for further information from over 80 companies, seeking a wide range of funding from a few million to several hundred million pounds, resulting in 19 formal expressions of interest which are being pursued at the pace set by the companies. The details of these projects are commercially sensitive and subject to agreement.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Annette Brooke: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make provision for the vehicle scrappage scheme to be open to persons who have taken on the registration of a vehicle over 10 years old which was initially registered in the name of their deceased spouse.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 19 June 2009
	We have given careful consideration to the issue of whether it would be possible to make an exception to this rule in the case of consumers who have taken over the registration of a vehicle which was previously registered to a spouse who has died, but have concluded that this will not be possible.
	The rules of the scheme are that the registered keeper of the old and new vehicle must be the same person, and that the old vehicle must have been registered to the keeper continuously for 12 months before the order date of the new vehicle. This rule was put in place for two main reasons. First, the rule seeks to prevent the sorts of abuses that have taken place in other EU countries, for example where individuals bought a very old car for a token sum simply in order to take advantage of scrappage scheme. Secondly, given the need to provide urgent support to the industry it was imperative to launch the scheme quickly and to ensure the scheme was simple and that bureaucracy and costs for all parties were minimised.
	It is a regrettable fact that we have had instances of less scrupulous individuals seeking to identify loopholes in the scheme in order to abuse it. It is clear that if we make an exception to the rules of this nature, unscrupulous individuals will seek to exploit what they will see as a loophole. It is also clear that to make an exception of this nature will very significantly add to the administrative burden and complexity of the scheme and require non-experts (dealers) to check facts and documentation which they are not equipped to verify, which in turn would raise further concerns about the capacity for abuse of the scheme. For example, dealers would need to verify whether the person who was the keeper of the car in question has in fact died and whether the car in question has in fact been left to the person proposing to scrap it (as opposed to another relative, friend, charity etc.). This in turn would raise issues in the case of those who had died intestate and of whether or not probate had been obtained, again adding to the complexity of the scheme and the capacity for abuse.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department has disbursed under the Automotive Assistance Scheme since the scheme's inception.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 22 June 2009
	No loans or loan guarantees have yet been given under the Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP). We have now had requests for further information from over 80 companies, seeking a wide range of funding from a few million to several hundred million pounds, resulting in 19 formal expressions of interest which are being pursued at the pace set by the companies. The details of these projects are commercially sensitive and subject to agreement.

Olympic Games 2012

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; how many of them are working on (i) project management, (ii) legacy planning, (iii) project oversight and (iv) financial oversight; and what plans he has for future staffing levels in each case.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade, Investment and Consumer Affairs, on 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 280W.
	This has been updated in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of full time equivalent staff within BIS, UKTI and RDAs working on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games 
			O f which :  
			  Name of organisation  Total number of current staff  (i) working on project management  (ii) working on legacy planning  (iii) working on project oversight  (iv) working on financial oversight  Planned future staffing levels 
			 BIS 3.25 0 3.25 0 0 No planned changes 
			 UKTI 2.5 0 2.5 0 0 + 1 
			 AWM 2.15 1 0.75 0.2 0.2 + 1 (Inspire Mark post funded by DCMS) 
			 EEDA(1) 4.7 3.05 1.25 0.3 0.1 +1 
			 EMDA 2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 No planned changes 
			 LDA(2) 75 0 75 0 0 Changes planned as Legacy Company is set up 
			 NWDA 1 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 + 1 (Inspire Programme funded by DCMS) 
			 ONE 1 0.25 0.25 0.45 0.05 No planned changes 
			 SEEDA 3.2 1 1 1 0.2 No planned changes 
			 SWERDA 2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 No planned changes 
			 YF 0.35 0.1 0.15 0.05 0.05 No planned changes 
			 Total 97.15 6.7 85.45 3.2 1.8 +4 
			 (1) EEDA is the only region outside London with two Olympic venues which require a level of project management and coordination, as well as having the highest level of businesses registered on CompeteFor outside London. Three posts are working for Nations and Regions East on behalf of all the local authorities in the East of England, as well as Sport England EEDA. (2) The LDA has a dedicated Olympic Legacy Directorate whose staffing will change as the recently formed Olympic Legacy company establishes itself. Within the 75 FTEs there are project managers and accountants providing financial oversight but they are all ultimately working to deliver a sustainable legacy for London following the Games.

Part-time Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average fee grant received by part-time students for courses with an intensity of  (a) between 50 to 59 per cent.,  (b) between 60 to 74 per cent. and  (c) 75 per cent. or more was in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Average part-time fee grant by intensity band academic year 2007-08 England 
			  Intensity band  Average part-time fee grant ()( 1) 
			 Equivalent to 50 per cent. to  59 per cent. of full-time course 550 
			 Equivalent to 60 per cent. to  74 per cent. of full-time course 750 
			 Equivalent to 75 per cent. or more of full-time course 930 
			 (1) Average rounded to nearest 10.  Source: Student Loans Company and Open University applications data

Part-time Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent in  (a) (i) fee grant payments, (ii) course grant payments and (iii) teaching and learning payments for part-time students to institutions from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and  (b) other forms of support for part-time students in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: In academic year 2007/08, part-time students in England were awarded fee grants of 28.5 million and course grants of 11.7 million.
	The following table shows the notional funding associated with taught part-time students funded through the teaching funding method.
	
		
			  HEFCE part-time funding, 2007/08 academic year( 1) 
			million 
			 Standard Resource 1,013.1 
			 Assumed fee income 353.5 
			 Notional grant (resource minus fees) 659.7 
			   
			 Widening access for people from disadvantaged backgrounds 55.2 
			 Improving retention 57.4 
			   
			 Model 2 Lifelong Learning Networks 8.2 
			 Co-funded employer engagement 5.0 
			 Total 2007/08 notional funding 785.4 
			 (1) The HEFCE figures in the table are based on final allocations announced for 2007/08. They do not take account of grant adjustments arising from institutions recruitment in that year. Figures do not include non-recurrent elements of grant, such as capital funding. 
		
	
	In addition, 35.8 million was provided through the 2007-08 HEFCE research funding method for part-time postgraduate research students registered at English higher education institutions.

Retail Trade

David Crausby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department in taking to encourage small independent businesses located in urban high streets.

Patrick McFadden: The tougher economic conditions have made us more determined to help SMEs. We have met with business organisations and businesses across the country to discuss the problems they are facing and to ensure that their views are reflected in Government action. The Government's package of supportReal Helpfocuses on those top prioritiescash flow, access to finance, higher bank charges and costs and training.
	In April the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport jointly published Looking After Our Town Centres, which sets out the range of powers, guidance and approaches that can help local authorities and their partners promote the vitality and viability of town centres, and explains additional steps that the Government are taking to enable further positive action to be taken, particularly through the temporary use of empty shops. The guide can be downloaded from:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/towncentres
	Small independent shops (and other businesses) occupying a sole property with a rateable value below 15,000 may benefit from small business rate relief. For the businesses occupying the smallest properties, this can mean a saving of up to 50 per cent. of their business rates.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people with  (a) maintenance loans,  (b) tuition fee loans and  (c) both maintenance and tuition fee loans have outstanding debts to the Student Loans Company.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			  Borrowers by loan type, including loans not yet due for repayment, March 2009 
			  Income contingent loan type  Number of borrowers (number)( 1) 
			 Income contingent maintenance loans only 1,680,800 
			 Tuition fee loans only 75,000 
			 Both maintenance and fee loans 887,300 
			 (1) Figures cover English domiciled borrowers who studied or are studying in the UK and EU students studied/studying in England. EU students are not eligible for maintenance loans. Figures rounded to nearest 100. Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	In addition 298,200 borrowers have the older mortgage-style maintenance loans. Some of these may also have income-contingent loans from a second period of study and would therefore be included in the table above.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much interest was accrued on outstanding debts to the Student Loans Company in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

David Lammy: The Statistical First Release 'Student Loans for Higher Education in England, Financial Year 2008-09 (Provisional)' shows 585.6 million of interest was added to student loans in 2007-08 and 759.5 million in 2008-09.
	This document is available from the Student Loans Company website at:
	www.slc.co.uk/pdf/slcsfr022009.pdf

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount the Student Loans Company will lend in  (a) tuition fee loans and  (b) maintenance loans to (i) domestic and (ii) overseas students in the 2008-09 academic year.

David Lammy: Early provisional 2008-09 figures and complete figures for amounts lent in academic year 2007-08 are available in the Statistical First Release Student Support for Higher Education in England, Academic Year 2008-09 (Provisional). This is published on the Student Loans Company website at:
	www.slc.co.uk/pdf/slcsfr022009.pdf
	An update to this annual publication, containing complete 2008-09 information, will be published on a pre-announced date, towards the end of the year.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people borrowed money from the Student Loans Company for  (a) maintenance only,  (b) tuition only and  (c) maintenance and tuition in the latest academic year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			  Numbers of students who took out student loans by type in academic year 2007-08 
			  Loan type  Borrowers (number)( 1) 
			 Both fee loan and maintenance loan 514,600 
			 Maintenance loan only 237,000 
			 Fee loan only 52,100 
			 (1) English domiciled borrowers studying in the UK and EU borrowers studying in England.  Source: Student Loan Company

Written Questions: Government Responses

Richard Burden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to answer Question  (a) 274337,  (b) 274338 and  (c) 274339, tabled on 6 May 2009, on General Motors Europe.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 1 July 2009
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 29 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 96-97W.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was spent on energy efficiency measures for his Department's and its predecessor's estate in each year from 2004 to 2009; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of that expenditure; and what plans he has for future energy efficiency measures.

Joan Ruddock: In 2007-08, DEFRA installed a powerPerfector in 3 Whitehall Place. The unit, installation and delivery costs were 70,878.35 (including VAT). Overall energy consumption reduced by 8.66 per cent. from the installation date (March 2008) to May 2009.
	Since its inception in October 2008, DECC, working with Carbon Trust and others, has identified and started to implement a range of energy efficiency measures at its HQ in 3 Whitehall Place. These include changes to lighting, heating and cooling controls, through optimisation of the building management system. Initial estimates suggest that investment in this work could be recovered in little over one year due to projected energy savings.

Fuel Poverty: North-West

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to reduce levels of fuel poverty in  (a) the North-West and  (b) Lancashire.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 5 June 2009
	Warm Front is the Government's main scheme for tackling fuel poverty and, since 2005, has spent approximately 230 million on a range of energy efficiency measures in the North West region, including insulation and full central heating systems. Data are not available on a county basis.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change is responsible for national programmes aimed at reducing fuel poverty. The combination of Warm Front, CERT and Decent Homes and local programmes delivered through local government, partnerships, energy suppliers, Eaga and NEA (such as Warm Zones and CEEF) are all important in tackling fuel poverty across regions of England.

Insulation: Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what timetable has been set for his Department's programme for the insulation of six million homes; and how many homes had been insulated under that programme at the latest date for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: We continue to work with energy suppliers and the insulation industry towards the Prime Minister's commitment to insulate six million households by the end of 2011. The contributing schemes are the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT); the Warm Front programme; the Decent Homes programme; and when it becomes operational, the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP).
	We estimate that in 2008-09 around 1.5 million households received insulation under these schemes. Households may receive more than one insulation measure(1) so the number of insulation measures delivered is greater than 1.5 million.
	(1) Ofgem's final report of the second phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC2) concluded, on the basis of monitoring results, that each household that benefited from professionally installed insulation measures received on average 1.3 measures.

Renewable Energy: Pembrokeshire

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the Lunar tidal power project off the Pembrokeshire coast; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: We are aware of plans by Lunar and E.ON to develop an underwater tidal stream power project off the Pembrokeshire coast and my noble Friend the Minister of State had a meeting with Lunar in January. However, we have not received a formal request for consenting approval.

TREASURY

Departmental Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2009,  Official Report, column 894W, on Government Departments: standards, whether his Department uses a formula to take performance against public service agreement targets into account in spending reviews.

Stephen Timms: No simple formulaic approach is applied during spending reviews. However, a Department's performance during the previous spending review period is always taken into account when settlements are made.

Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of money from dormant bank accounts will be allocated to each of the three funding priorities for England under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008;
	(2)  when he plans to direct the Big Lottery Fund to distribute funding to good causes under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 30 April 2009
	The allocation between each of the spending areas for England will be determined by a cross-Government working group, which will continue to meet this year to draft the spending directions to issue to the Big Lottery Fund on the scheme's launch.
	The Government intend the scheme to be operational as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval.

Government Departments: Finance

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2009,  Official Report, column 894W, on Government Departments standards, from which Departments funding has been withheld as a result of not meeting public service agreement targets since July 1998.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on 24 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 893-94W.

Money Laundering

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with the Financial Action Task Force on the proposals made by the G20 leaders to improve the processes for compliance by jurisdictions with anti-money laundering and combating financial terrorism standards.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury leads the UK delegation to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). At its last plenary session on the 24-26 June 2009, the FATF agreed changes to its procedures for dealing with jurisdictions whose anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regimes present a risk to the global financial system. It also agreed a written report to be submitted to the G20 leaders' summit in September.

Non-Domestic Rates

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of appeals made to the Valuation Office Agency against assessment for business rates resulted in a change to rateable value in each billing authority area in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of appeals made to the Valuation Office Agency in respect of ratings assessments for business rates relating to  (a) a valuation officer changing a property's rateable value,  (b) part of the property becoming exempted from rate liability and  (c) a material change in circumstances affecting the value of the property in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many appeals against ratings assessments for business rates levied in each billing authority area have been made to the Valuation Office Agency in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: A copy of this information has been placed in the Library.

Private Finance Initiative: Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is on the use of international financial reporting standards in the accounting treatment of private finance initiative liabilities.

Ian Pearson: Central Government financial reporting from 1 April 2009 is based on EU adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), adapted or interpreted for the public sector context.
	The IFRS based accounting policy for Public Private Partnership arrangements, including for PFI contracts, is detailed in the Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM).
	The FReM accounting for PFI is based on International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) Interpretation 12 Service Concession Arrangements, as interpreted for the public sector.

Public Expenditure: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the 2009 Budget on pensioners resident in Coventry.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	In the 2009 Budget the Chancellor announced a number of measures that will benefit pensioners, including those in Coventry.
	In order to help those pensioners who receive income from savings and who may have been affected by lower interest rates, the Government will be increasing the threshold in pension credit (and housing and council tax benefit for those who have attained the qualifying age for pension credit) from 6,000 to 10,000 from November 2009, so that pensioners can have up to 10,000 without it affecting their benefits; launching a tax back awareness campaign in autumn 2009 to encourage all those in receipt of pension credit to ensure they are not paying tax on their savings that they do not have to and to claim back overpaid tax; and from 2009-10, the amounts that people aged 50 and over can save in an Individual Savings Account (ISA) will be increased to 10,200 of which 5,100 can be saved in cash form (effective from 6 October 2009).
	In addition there will be a repeat of this years additional winter fuel payment of 50 for households with someone aged 60-79 and 100 for those with someone aged 80 or over in winter 2009-10. This means the winter fuel payments will be 250 and 400 respectively for winter 2009-10 which provides a significant contribution towards an older person's winter fuel bill.
	The Government have also committed to maintain the standard interest rate applied in the support for mortgage interest scheme at 6.08 per cent. for a further six months until the end of December 2009, this will help those on pension credit who receive help with their mortgage.
	The Government also reconfirmed their commitment to uprate the basic state pension by a minimum of 2.5 per cent. should the retail prices index fall below 2.5 per cent. in September 2009.
	A further change announced in the 2009 Budget is for grandparents who stop work to care for their grandchildren before they reach state pension age. They will be eligible to receive national insurance credits that will top up their basic state pension. This change is due to come into effect in 2011 and will make it easier for grandparents who take on significant caring responsibilities.

Revenue and Customs: Redundancy

Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid by HM Revenue and Customs in redundancy packages to employees following recent branch closures.

Stephen Timms: HMRC has not made any staff compulsorily redundant and is committed to avoiding this where at all practical. Instead HMRC is actively seeking to redeploy as many staff as possible into suitable alternative posts, both within HMRC and to other government departments.
	Alongside this redeployment programme HMRC has also run a number of lower cost voluntary early release schemes and has offered these to eligible staff. Since April 2005 6,561 staff have left HMRC under these schemes at a cost of around 299 million. The savings in salary costs from these releases are estimated at 691 million.
	Although all decisions on office closures have now been announced, the actual closures will be phased over a period of time. Through this implementation phase the redeployment of staff remains HMRC's highest priority.

Students: Loans

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have complained to HM Revenue and Customs about the way in which money has been collected from their salaries for the Student Loans Company in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HMRC collects income-contingent student loan repayments and forwards information about these to the Student Loans Company (SLC), who administer borrower accounts. In the last three tax years HMRC has sent SLC over 4.3 million reports of the total student loan repayments deducted from the annual salaries of individual borrowers.
	During this period HMRC has received 22 complaints from student loan borrowers about the repayment collection process from salaries:
	
		
			   Number of complaints 
			 2006-07 5 
			 2007-08 5 
			 2008-09 12

Welfare Tax Credit

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made since the introduction of tax credits in 2003 to  (a) the clarity of award notices,  (b) the length of the accompanying notes and  (c) the numbers of duplicate items.

Stephen Timms: A revised version of the award notice, reflecting comments from the voluntary and community sector has been in use since April 2006, giving the customer information about entitlement, overpayments and recovery arrangements. Additionally, claimants now receive a summary sheet that explains the most important aspects of their award. This summary highlights the key areas of their award that they need to check, for example, number of children, child care costs, income and account details.
	HMRC seek to minimise the number of times it has to send notices to both couples in a household. For example, HMRC generally only issues one annual renewal pack per household if a reply is required. There are some instances where legislation means HMRC have to send out individual notices to each partner but HMRC constantly review their communications and are always exploring ways to improve the customer experience.

Welfare Tax Credit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009,  Official Report, column 413W, on the Lenders' Panel, on what dates the Lending Panel has met; and on what dates it is scheduled to meet.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: At the 2008 pre-Budget report, the Government announced the creation of a new Lending Panel, which meets regularly to monitor lending to businesses and households. The Lending Panel brings together lenders, trade bodies, consumer groups, and the Government, regulators and the Bank of England. The Lending Panel has met approximately monthly since its inception, and will continue to meet as appropriate.

Welfare Tax Credit: Revenue and Customs

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what methods HM Revenue and Customs uses to measure the effectiveness of its service to tax credit claimants.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs uses a range of methods to measure the effectiveness of its service to tax credits claimants. The key ones are explained in HMRC's Business Plan for 2009-10 'Delivering our Vision' available at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/business-plan-vision.pdf

JUSTICE

Asbestos

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State of Business, Innovation and Skills on that Department's estimate of its  (a) current and  (b) projected liabilities arising from the use of asbestos; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has provided the Ministry of Justice with estimates of its liabilities for pleural plaques in the context of the Government's consideration of the issues raised in its consultation on pleural plaques.

Burges Salmon Solicitors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on the Solicitors Regulation Authority's handling of the case of complaints against Burges Salmon Solicitors; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on Burges Salmon Solicitors' provision of mortgage and other financial advice; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: Three Members of Parliament have written to me concerning the conduct of Burges Salmon LLP and the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) subsequent investigation into complaints received from members of the public. I have also received representations from a concerned member of the public. All the representations I have received are in relation to the provision of legal advice in mortgage and other financial matters.
	Complaints about professional misconduct of solicitors are matters for the SRA to investigate, as the legal profession is independent from the Government. As such, I cannot comment on individual cases. If consumers are unhappy with the way the SRA has conducted its investigation or the final decision reached, they should refer the matter to the Legal Services Ombudsman (LSO). The LSO protects the interests of the consumers of legal services by ensuring that the professional regulators conduct fair, thorough and efficient investigations of complaints about their members.

Community Orders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons offenders undertaking unpaid work under the Children and Adoption Act 2006 are not required to wear identifiable clothing.

Jack Straw: The Children and Adoption Act 2006 makes unpaid work available as a requirement of an enforcement order for breach of a child contact order in the Family Proceedings court, County court and High Court. A person who has breached a contact order can be required to undertake between 40 and 200 hours unpaid work, which is intended to ensure future compliance with the contact order. The fact that these offenders have not been included in the Community Payback scheme is anomalous. I am therefore actively considering the inclusion of these orders in the scheme.

Community Supervision

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people who were the subject of community supervision during  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008 had previously been held in custody; and how many people were on community supervision in each of those years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  As at December each year  Community supervision  Previously in custody 
			 2007 150,179 54,018 
			 2008 146,725 n/a 
			  Notes: 1. The number of offenders on community supervision in 2007 has been drawn from the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007 report which includes all pre CJA orders, community orders and suspended sentence orders. The number of offenders who had a previous immediate custodial sentence has been derived from the dataset for the publication extracted from the police national computer.  2. Information on the previous criminal history of offenders under community supervision at end 2008 will be published in Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2008 on 31 July 2009. 
		
	
	The case load figures can be found in Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007 at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/omcs2007.pdf
	and in the Probation Statistics Quarterly Brief October to December 2008 at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/quarterly-probation-brief-q4-2008.pdf
	The police national computer is an administrative IT system which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

County Courts: Judgments

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the civil procedure rules do not require a claimant applying for a county court judgment to produce evidence of admission of the defendant.

Bridget Prentice: The civil procedure rules require a defendant who wishes to admit a claim to send their admission direct to the claimant to allow them to make an offer of payment, or pay the claim in full, without unnecessarily involving the court.
	A claimant may request a judgment based on an admission by filing a prescribed form. By signing the form, the claimant certifies that the defendant admits that all the money is owed.
	Rule 32.14 of the civil procedure rules provides that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against a person if he makes, or causes to be made, a false statement. Where a party does make a false statement, the courts, when such actions are brought to their attention, treat them very seriously and judges may make orders as they see fit. However, such instances are very rare.

Courts: Reprography

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many courts provide photocopying facilities in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) the East Midlands; and how many courts charge for the use of such a facility.

Bridget Prentice: HMCS does not hold information about the number of courts within England and Wales, including the East Midlands, which provide photocopying facilities. However, all courts will usually provide some facility for copying documents. A fee is payable for a request to copy documents in civil and family courts and in any probate registry as prescribed by the relevant fees orders.

Departmental Consultants

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much was spent by his Department on  (a) consultants and  (b) agency staff in 2008-09;
	(2)  how much  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on external consultancy in 2008-09;
	(3)  how much the National Offender Management Scheme spent on consultants in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Jack Straw: The information requested is set out as follows:
	 Consultants
	The Ministry's provisional expenditure on external consultants in 2008-09 is 53,600,000. This is disclosed in the Ministry of Justice Departmental Annual Report 2008-09 on page 72 which can be found in the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/justice-annual-report-2008-09.htm
	This amount covers the Ministry of Justice HQ, HM Courts Service, Tribunals Service, and the National Offender Management Service. This figure is an early estimate and will be subject to change.
	The Office of Government Commerce collates data on consultancy expenditure as part of its Consultancy Value programme which assists Departments in driving greater value from Government's use of consultants. The Ministry's expenditure on consultancy for 2007-08 is reported as 56 million and can be found in the following link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/professional_services_consultancy_ value_programme.asp
	The finalised figures for 2008-09 will be available on this website in due course. A manual data collection exercise for this period is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2009 with the data expected at 31 October 2009.
	Expenditure on external consultants by the National Offender Management Service in the financial year 2007-08 was 6.9 million of which 3.5 million relates to HM Prison Service. These figures were provided in a written answer by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Justice (Mr. Wills) to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1655W. Data for April 2008 to March 2009 are expected at 31 October 2009.
	 Agency Staff
	The final audited figures for agency staff expenditure will be reported in the Ministry's 2008-09 resource accounts which are expected to be laid before Parliament by the summer recess. Draft figures are shown as follows:
	
		
			   Draft figures () 
			 Ministry of Justice HQ 38,042,261 
			 HM Courts Service 34,912,450 
			 Tribunals Service 8,945,912 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 3,190,000 
			 National Offenders Management Service 27,250,000 
			 Total 112,340,623 
		
	
	This expenditure represents a reduction of 18 per cent. compared to the figure reported in 2007-08.
	As part of the Ministry of Justice's ongoing Performance and Efficiency programme to deliver l billion of savings to March 2011 we are looking at ways to reduce people costs, including cutting back on interim and contract staff. However, in specific circumstances consultancy support offers MOJ a fast and flexible way of obtaining skills and experience that are not available in house. All contracts, in such cases, are let with best value for money in mind and follow established Office of Government Commerce frameworks.

Departmental Public Consultation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of each tender document relating to his Department's consultation on  (a) the rights and responsibilities Green Paper and  (b) a British statement of values.

Michael Wills: Tender documents relating to the consultations on values, rights and responsibilities cannot be placed in the Library as this could prejudice commercial interests.

Land Registry

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate is of the number of deeds and documents held by the Land Registry.

Michael Wills: The Land Registry estimates that the number of documents it holds is in excess of 122 million (with an estimated 747 million pages). This figure includes documents held in both paper and electronic form.

Land Registry

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many original deeds and documents have been destroyed by the Land Registry since 28 February 2009.

Michael Wills: In accordance with Rules 203 and 204 of the Land Registration Rules 2003 the Land Registry has destroyed approximately 5.5 million deeds and documents since 28 February 2009. The destruction of these documents results from a decision to store records electronically rather than physically. The Land Registry holds a large number of documents in electronic format. This has allowed the creation of a service for professional customers to view and download these documents online, and speeded up the services available to the general public.
	Register related documents are managed with the electronic register and are within the scope of the Land Registry's IT security measures, which are externally accredited. This includes a requirement that the Land Registry:
	Systematically examines its information security risks, taking account of the threats, vulnerabilities and impacts;
	Designs and implements a coherent and comprehensive suite of information security controls and/or other forms of risk treatment (such as risk avoidance or risk transfer) to address those risks that it deems unacceptable; and
	Adopts an overarching management process to ensure that the information security controls continue to meet its information security needs on a continuing basis.

Land Registry

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of land and property registrations overseen by the Land Registry took place solely by electronic means in each year since 2003.

Michael Wills: The information prior to September 2007 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I will, however, be able to provide the number of electronic applications received by Land Registry since 2007. I will write to the hon. Member with this information and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Land Registry

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of original records which will be destroyed by the Land Registry in 2009-10.

Michael Wills: No estimate has been made of the number of original records that will be destroyed by the Land Registry in 2009-10. Figures are available for documents destroyed to date in 2009-10 and are as follows:
	April 2009: 349,375
	May 2009: 334,008
	June 2009: 401,739.
	The destruction of these documents results from a decision to store records electronically rather than physically. The Land Registry holds a large number of documents in electronic format. This has allowed the creation of a service for professional customers to view and download these documents online, and has speeded up the services available to the general public.
	Register-related documents are managed with the electronic register and are within the scope of the Land Registry's IT security measures, which are externally accredited. This includes a requirement that the Land Registry:
	Systematically examines its information security risks, taking account of the threats, vulnerabilities and impacts;
	Designs and implements a coherent and comprehensive suite of information security controls and/or other forms of risk treatment (such as risk avoidance or risk transfer) to address those risks that it deems unacceptable; and
	Adopts an overarching management process to ensure that the information security controls continue to meet its information security needs on a continuing basis.

Land Registry

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the number of deeds and documents held by the Land Registry of which there is no paper original.

Michael Wills: As of 1 July 2009 the Land Registry estimates that it holds 31,375,788 documents in electronic format (where there is no paper original). This figure includes the full range of documents and is not limited to traditional legal deeds such as transfer, leases and conveyances. Also included are other documents that are lodged by customers in support of their applications.

Land Registry

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests were received by the Land Registry between 13 October 2003 and 12 October 2008 for the return of original documents on which entry is or was founded.

Michael Wills: The Land Registry estimates that it received 6,285 applications for the return of documents between 13 October 2003 and 12 October 2008. As a result some 2,916 original documents were returned to applicants. The remainder of requests were either for documents that had already been returned, were not held by Land Registry or were not available for statutory reasons.

Legal Services Commission

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will instruct the Legal Services Commission to evaluate the effect of best value tendering on the ability of law firms to deliver legally-aided criminal defence services;
	(2)  whether his Department has made an estimate of the effect on expenditure on legal aid which would result from the implementation of the Best Value Tendering for Criminal Defence Service Contracts models in 2010;
	(3)  if he will instruct the Legal Services Commission to evaluate the effect of best value tendering on the quality of legally-aided criminal defence services;
	(4)  if he will instruct the Legal Services Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of its tender process for the best value tendering exercise.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is currently analysing responses to its consultation on best value tendering (BVT) which closed on 19 June. It will issue a response in the next few weeks. The consultation set out the LSC's intention to pilot BVT in Greater Manchester and Avon and Somerset and to evaluate the pilot tender exercise before making any decisions on wider rollout across England and Wales.
	The LSC's consultation stated that any evaluation of the pilot tender exercise would address areas such as the operation of the tender mechanism; the prices and level of supply obtained; changes in the shape of the market; the ability of firms to adjust structures, where necessary to deliver work under the new contract; and an equalities impact assessment of the tender outcome.
	Best value tendering has the potential to achieve savings in areas where there is strong competition by setting the local market price for services and allowing firms to realise efficiency savings. However, it is not possible to predict in advance the outcome of a competitive process and we recognise that prices may rise in some areas. Piloting the proposals will give us a much better understanding of the overall financial impact.
	A final impact assessment will be published alongside the LSC's response to the consultation, which will fully assess the impact of any decisions on implementing these proposals.

Ministers: Pensions

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the proposed Bill on constitutional renewal will include provisions relating to the  (a) Prime Minister's,  (b) Lord Chancellor's and  (c) Speaker's pension.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government remain committed to legislating in this area as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Government are currently considering the content of the Constitutional Renewal Bill and will make an announcement in due course.

Miscarriages of Justice

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many miscarriage of justice claims at the Office for Criminal Justice Reform are unsettled; and in which year each claim or group of claims commenced.

Claire Ward: All payments for compensation following miscarriages of justice are now considered under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Ministers decide whether an applicant is eligible for compensation and, if eligibility is confirmed, the independent assessor decides on the amount to be paid. The assessor bases his decision on submissions by or on behalf of the applicant as to financial and other losses suffered as a result of the miscarriage of justice. This is often a complex and time-consuming process.
	There are currently 62 applicants in relation to whom eligibility has been confirmed under section 133 (or under the discretionary compensation scheme abolished in 2006), but where a final payment has yet to be made. The table indicates the year in which eligibility was confirmed and the number of successful applicants involved in each.
	
		
			  Year eligibility was confirmed  Number of successful applicants 
			 1992 1 
			 1993 1 
			 1996 2 
			 1999 1 
			 2000 3 
			 2001 5 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 5 
			 2004 8 
			 2005 11 
			 2006 12 
			 2007 7 
			 2008 3 
			 2009 2 
		
	
	Of these, 26 have still to make final submissions on the value of their claim and 13 are with the assessor for consideration of a final award. In 14 cases the assessor has considered the final submission and has either issued an assessment and is awaiting formal acceptance, or has requested further information before he can make a final award. In the remaining nine cases final submissions have recently been made by the applicants and the papers will go to the assessor for consideration of a final award once they have been collated by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform
	It is open to any applicant who has had eligibility for compensation confirmed to ask the assessor for an interim payment.

National Offender Management Service: Finance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure the National Offender Management Service incurred on prison-based offender behaviour programmes  (a) in total and  (b) per participant in 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: The funding for the delivery of prison-based offender behaviour programmes is part of establishment baselines, therefore it is not possible to accurately disaggregate the cost of this work.
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) offers a range of programmes to meet different needs and risks of offending. The cost of delivery varies across programmes and by prison establishment, depending on factors such as the nature, length and intensity of the programmes, volume of delivery and the existing infrastructure.
	The estimated cost per individual completing programmes in prison is between 1,000 to 10,000. The small number of completions for the more intensive programmes for serious violent offenders cost more to deliver.
	NOMS is currently undertaking a specifications, benchmarking and costings exercise which will provide more accurate costings of the interventions delivered.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the merits of redirecting funding from offender behaviour programmes towards activities which strengthen offenders' family relationships and employment skills as a means of reducing re-offending; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) delivers a broad range of interventions to address the particular risks and needs of offenders.
	There are a number of accredited offending behaviour programmes addressing thinking skills, anger management, domestic and other types of violent crime as well as sexual offending. A range of interventions is available for offenders with an alcohol or drug problem. These can contribute to strengthening relationships and employment.
	Other activities across prison and probation such as training, education, work, non accredited courses, specialist support and resettlement also have a significant part to play.
	The responsibility for the commissioning of services now rests with the Directors of Offender Management (DOM). It is for them to commission services that meet the needs of offenders and the requirements of sentencers in their area. Decisions over the level and allocation of funding are therefore matters for the DOM, and it is for them to decide if they wish to reallocate resources to strengthen family relationships and employment skills.

Offensive Weapons: Convictions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of offences related to possession of a knife in each police force area in the East of England in each of the last 10 years.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts of
	having an article with a blade or point in a public place or on school premises
	in the East of England, broken down by police force area, from 1998 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	We are determined to get knives off our streets. Through the Tackling Knives Action Programme we are working intensively in fifteen areas affected by knife crime to reduce the number of knives on the streets, as well as with the British Transport police.
	In March 2009 we announced an extra 5 million to tackle knife crime and increase targeted police action to tackle a minority of young people who commit serious violence, regardless of the weapon involved.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts of having an article with a blade or point in a public place or on school premises, in the East of England region, broken down by police force area, 1998 to 2007( 1, 2) 
			  Police force area  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Bedfordshire 36 23 40 32 40 57 68 78 61 62 
			 Cambridgeshire 35 31 15 27 46 34 62 57 67 54 
			 Essex 97 96 100 99 103 146 201 176 175 160 
			 Hertfordshire 29 28 27 25 53 83 84 92 84 68 
			 Norfolk 50 46 36 41 59 69 70 69 62 78 
			 Suffolk 22 26 30 31 61 52 68 69 106 89 
			 East of England 269 250 248 255 362 441 553 541 555 511 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis UnitOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Pleural Plaques: Compensation

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reports he has received on the implications for his policy on the payment of compensation for pleural plaques of the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009; and if he will make a statement

Bridget Prentice: No reports have been received on this issue.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2009,  Official Report, column 776W, on prisons, what the standard infrastructural, physical and security criteria are for prison buildings that are designated for use by category  (a) A,  (b) B and  (c) C prisoners.

Maria Eagle: Because of the wide variety of properties that make up the prison estate, there are no standard infrastructural or physical build specifications for the different security categories of prisons. Instead, there are physical and special security guides. For security reasons these are not publicly available documents. By applying these we can ensure that all prisons meet the required standard of physical security appropriate to the category of prisoner held.

Prison Accommodation

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 734-5WS, on prison accommodation, how many category  (a) C and  (b) D prisoners are held in prisons designated for use by category B prisoners; and what percentage of category (i) A and (ii) B prisoners are held in prisons designated for use by category A prisoners.

Maria Eagle: All prisoners are placed in the lowest security category consistent with the needs of security and control. Categorisation involves an assessment of the risk of escape or abscond and the potential risk of harm to the public. Prisoners may be held in a prison of a higher security category for operational reasons, although the numbers of such prisoners must be limited by agreement between senior managers.
	The information necessary to give a comprehensive answer to the questions about the numbers of category C and D prisoners who are detained in prisons designated for category B prisoners, and the percentage of category A and B prisoners held in category A prisons is not held centrally and obtaining it would involve disproportionate cost.

Prisoners Release

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people imprisoned for  (a) domestic violence and  (b) sexual violence offences have been released under the end of custody licence scheme; and how many of each category have committed similar offences since their release.

Jack Straw: Domestic violence is not a specific offence. Offenders who commit domestic violence are charged with one of the offences of assault. Prisoners serving a sentence for a serious violent offence are ineligible for release on the end of custody licence (ECL). It would not be possible to identify the number of prisoners convicted of domestic violence related offences without examining individual case files and therefore breaching cost limits.
	Sexual violence is not a specific offence. Prisoners who are subject to the registration requirements of the Sex Offenders Act 1997/Sexual Offences Act 2003 are ineligible for release on ECL.
	The number of releases and recalls on end of custody licence (ECL) has been published monthly since July 2007 on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	The most recent data was published on 30 June 2009. The number of releases by all offence groups since the scheme began is in the following table:
	
		
			  ECL releases by offence group  29 June 2007 to 31 May 2009 
			 Violence against the person 11,696 
			 Sexual offences 9 
			 Robbery 1,452 
			 Burglary 5,465 
			 Theft and handling 13,450 
			 Fraud and forgery 1,204 
			 Drug offences 2,583 
			 Motoring offences 6,739 
			 Other offences 16,156 
			 Offence not recorded 1,027 
		
	
	Of the nine prisoners released on ECL having served a sentence for a sexual offence, six were eligible for release whilst the other three were released in error. None of these nine prisoners re-offended while on the period of ECL.
	For all other prisoners released on ECL, it is not possible to establish how many of each category has committed similar offences since their release without checking individual prisoner and police records. This would exceed cost limits.
	The monthly ECL report shows figures for recalls by reason. Of the 2,022 prisoners recalled, 874 have been recalled for alleged re-offending.
	More generally, figures on re-offending are published annually on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingof adults.htm
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffending juveniles.htm
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications//local-adult-reoffending. htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Swine Flu

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have been diagnosed with swine flu to date.

Maria Eagle: Two, as of 1 July. Contingency plans are in place to prepare for pandemic flu in prisons, in order to minimise the transmission of infection and ensure that prisoners and staff receive appropriate medical care and advice. Guidance has been provided to all prisons, and NOMS is working closely with the Department of Health and with the NHS at national, regional and local level to ensure that our response is robust and closely aligned with key partners.

Probation Officers

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the average cost of training a probation officer.

Jack Straw: The average cost of training a probation officer is approximately 74,000. This amount covers the cost of the two-year training programme, salary and related costs.

Probation Officers: Redundancy

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reports he has received from local probation areas and trusts on levels of planned redundancies to 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: There has been a sustained increase in probation service funding since 1997. Total funding for probation rose by 70 per cent. in real terms between 1997 and 2007, and the number of staff employed by the probation service over the same period rose by 7,000, or almost 50 per cent. This includes an increase of 54 per cent. of frontline staff; probation officers, senior probation officers, and probation service officers.
	The chief operating officer of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) submitted staffing projections for 2009-10 and 2010-11 from all probation areas and trusts to Ministers in March this year. These were unverified estimates for internal management purposes only.
	Following these estimates, Ministers have made clear their commitment to ensuring that front-line redundancies are avoided wherever possible. Directors of Offender Management are ensuring that probation areas focus their savings on reducing management layers, streamlining support services and cutting bureaucracy, in order to minimise the impact of budget reductions on frontline staff.
	However, responsibility for staffing levels ultimately lies with each probation board or trust as they are the employers of probation staff. It is for them to take the action necessary at a local level to ensure they can deliver the required service within available resources.

Probation: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many high risk  (a) male and  (b) female offenders in each age group there were in Essex probation area in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The number of male and female offenders assessed as high risk of causing harm, through the Offender Assessment System supervised by Essex probation area by age group is outlined as follows:
	
		
			   31 March each year 
			   2009  2008  2007  2006 
			 Male 690 673 468 303 
			 Female 27 20 20 14 
			 Total 717 693 488 317 
			  
			 As proportion of case load (percentage) 10.5 10.1 7.8 5.8 
		
	
	
		
			   31 March  each year 
			   2009  2008  2007  2006 
			 Under 21 46 47 32 16 
			 21-29 203 192 128 78 
			 30-39 199 207 152 109 
			 40-49 155 144 102 69 
			 50-59 66 55 44 27 
			 60-69 37 34 23 13 
			 Over 70 11 14 7 5 
			 Total 717 693 488 317

Reoffenders: East of England

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rate for offenders in  (a) Cambridgeshire probation area and  (b) Peterborough probation area was in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The local reoffending figures are produced by aggregating the data of four snapshots of the probation case load at the end of each quarter. Therefore the number of offenders quoted in the table is approximately four times the number of offenders on the case load at any one time.
	The Cambridgeshire probation area has two local authorities (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough). The reoffending rate for both the probation area and the local authorities is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Local reoffending rates for Cambridgeshire: January-December 2008 
			   Number of offenders  Actual reoffending rate (percentage) 
			 Cambridgeshire probation area 9,389 11.01 
			
			 Cambridgeshire local authority 5,724 9.99 
			 Peterborough local authority 3,412 11.96 
		
	
	It is not always possible to assign a local authority to an offender so the totals for the local authorities do not sum to the number of reoffenders in the probation area.
	Local adult reoffending rates by probation area or local authority are not available for periods prior to 1 October 2007-30 September 2008.
	Further details on local adult reoffending is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/local-adult-reoffending-2008-ii-pdf

Youth Custody

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many juvenile offenders arrived at their place of detention for the first time after 10 pm on the day of admission in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information on those juveniles who arrived after 10 pm in each establishment over the last five years is not available. To provide this information would involve a manual check of each individual Prison Escort Record at a disproportionate cost.